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This is encouraging. I'm definitely going to try this. I had already started upping my Water and changed my yogurt to Greek yogurt. So gonna make a few more changes and see where this goes...thanks. Will update you on Saturday! Sent from my iPad using VST

I was just cleared to take my arthritis medicine. It's really been too painful to walk much without it. And I live upstairs so even a walk to the car and back has been difficult. He told me I had to take some food with it so I usually eat yogurt.

Hello theres, my prettiess.... hehe glad this site is back, i need it! well i was banded on the 26th by Dr. Ortiz, what a doll he is! i feel ok, a little gassy still and sore, my cuts are a little itchy... cant get the glue off, and I am scarred to touch it. I have been so hungry since the first day out of surgery, so i have no idea how they can say I wouldn't be hungry for a week. My tummy has been gurgling, rumbling, and growling non stop! i do notice that I stay full much longer now, and its a little uncomfortable. I have not yet pbed or slimed, thank god, maybe that only happens after a fill? My question is- Yes, i lost about 15 pounds so far, but as I start adding cream soups, yogurts and more food to my diet..... how does my body keep from gaining it all back? And also just wanted to say gratz to all you October Bandsters! I cant believe we did it! ~Raynie!

Hi all! We are all hitting the 5 month point this month. Wow, how time flies! I've been doing well - weight loss has been very slow at times but then I went through a inexplicable time where I lost almost 12 lbs in 2 weeks after only losing 10 lbs total in the two months before. Then another 2 week stall. So, I just keep on doing what I am supposed to and hope the weight keeps coming off, even though it is more by "fits & starts" than any steady rate. The best part is that I overnight dropped from a 3x in plus sizes to an XL in ladies, which thrills me to no end! I had to haul a ton of clothes to Goodwill and go buy something that wouldn't fall off! I am also very happy that I don't seem to have any issues with any particular foods anymore. It was rough the first couple of months and I worried that I would never be able to eat meat, yogurt, cottage cheese, and a dozen other things. Now everything seems to go down fine, but that's also a bad thing or it could be. So far, I am still working very hard to eat healthy but I do understand I will have the potential to fall off the wagon if I don't make healthy my highest priority for the rest of my life. So, I am working NOW on any issues I have with food that could lead me to bad habits again. One of them in the past was the whole "all or nothing" mentality - that anything that tasted good had to be BAD and therefore I either would avoid it completely and feel deprived or I would eat it like it was my last time ever to have it on earth! Now, I am trying to find a really good balance of moderation that I can live with. My husband's birthday was this week and birthday cake always was a huge temptation for me in the past but I was very happy with a teeny sliver of it so I got a taste. I was pleased that I didn't have to deprive myself and feel resentful or eat a huge chunk and feel guilty - that there as a place in between that was healthy and satisfying and where I could feel really good about myself.

Had a yogurt this morning for a snack - a Siggi's mixed berry. It's about 5oz. I could really feel the restriction...YAY! Someone brought in those softball sized blueberry muffins from BJ's - the kind with the large crystals of sugar on the muffin top.... but I don't need them for my muffin top. They did look a little tempting though....see how easy it would be to go down the slippery slope into Carbville and never emerge?! Lunch is going to be some chicken salad....Need to try to eat slowly. It's hard to make it last more than 10-15 minutes though. Today I'm shooting for 20!

Good morning all! I am happy to report that I moooved today! Just finished a 2.31 mile walk around the hood and I actually enjoyed it! Thank you pandora radio! My plan today.... B-protein drink S. Greek yogurt L. Turkey pepper jack on wheat thin bun S. Deviled egg D. Meatballs ( had chicken last night instead) I hope everyone has an amazing day! Remember......"she thought she could so she did"

B: Yogurt and Trail mix- 250 cal 17p L: Quest Bar, 2oz of cubed cheese and a few slices of pepperoni- Approx 400 cal 34p S: Skinny Cow Ice cream- 160 cal D: Grilled Turkey Tenderloin and a salad with homemade ranch dressing- 250 cal 22p S: if needed a Protein bar- 160 cal 20p Est. 1220 calories 93p Water 80oz Sounds like everyone is doing amazingly good! Keep it up.

I just mix things into plain Greek yogurt - like a packet of ranch dressing mix, for example.

I thought haydee's wedding was our trip this year...? But if u r forcing me to vacation... lol... maybe when next year's 2010-2011 school calendar comes out Pam can find a Fall long weekend or some such thing... or, we can pre-plan a wintery 2011 gathering... just thoughts... as I m sitting here @ the barn... I just picked up Wishing' & Hoping' @ the library & will start it now.... Tonight we're going to friends tonight for dessert & games... should b fun... Everyone have a good eve... haydee &suzy, hope u feel better! Great job Judy! Mmmmmm, that frozen yogurt shop, Pam... Bye for now!

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

Get comfortable, this is a long one... So here is the additional backstory info to my PS journey: So I ended up getting a last-minute tummy tuck two days ago (Dec 18), along with my arm and breast lift. Back in June 2019, when I initially scheduled my procedures, I was going to get an arm lift, a breast lift (to address side boob skin), and a tummy tuck. The tummy tuck was actually partially covered by provincial insurance. Basically the panniculectomy part was covered and I we only need to pay out of pocket for muscle tightening or any required lipo. But sometime around August or September, I decided to forego the tummy tuck because I thought that I could live with the state my stomach was in, and I didn't want to have more surgery if I didn't really need to. So I called my surgeons office and let them know. Fast forward four months later and I'm at the registration desk at the hospital on surgery day. I'm signing all the papers, and one of them is a confirmation surgery procedure form and lo and behold the tummy tuck is still on there. Apparently, the fact that the tummy tuck was removed was not properly communicated to the hospital. (As an aside, this is a perfect example of why confirmation of surgeries is necessary at registration!!) I had a discussion with my surgeon: he said the OR is already booked and set up for all three procedures including the tummy tuck. So if I wanted to, we could go ahead as originally planned back in June, or not. Whatever I decided was fine with him. If I didn't want the tummy tuck, there would be some paperwork to do beforehand, but it was doable since the OR was booked for all 3 procedures, and there was time to do the paperwork/system corrections and still complete the arm and breast lifts in that time. So now I had a discussion with Mr.: It wouldn't really cost much more, and they were all set up for it already anyway, so why not? It's funny because the decision making process felt like when you're in a grocery store line and decide to buy that pack of gum at the checkout. It's been almost 48 hours since the completion of my surgeries...here's what's happened so far: Day 0: Got to hospital at 7am and all the above happened. I got on the operating table at 9:30am, and don't know what time I woke up at recovery. The surgery was supposed to be 4 hours. All I remember was that it was 4pm when I got rolled into my room. That first night after the surgeries was relatively pain-free as I was drugged up and in bed the entire time. I slept a lot but not for very long periods of time. They put these leg type massagers on my legs that work kind of like a blood pressure cuff. Each one inflates a chamber with air starting from ankle to thigh, to squeeze my leg nicely and then deflates. Then the other one on the other leg does the same thing. Its to promote circulation and prevent blood clots. I've had them on the entire time (except when going to bathroom or taking a short walk) and I LOVE THEM. I want to buy one of these contraptions for home! The nurse said that I am the first patient she's met that likes these things. Which I find hard to believe because these things are awesome. Didn't eat anything all day, other than water, a cup of tea and 1/2 an unsweetened apple juice box. Day 1: Now the next day I felt the pain for the first time when my drugs wore off and I had to get out of bed to go to the washroom (they took my catheter out). Oh. My. God. When I twisted my body and put my foot on the ground, I felt like I was being stabbed in my hip with a large knife. It was so painful that when I walked I couldn't put my heel down. I had to do I sort of walk–tiptoe shuffle to the toilet. So first lesson: do not twist your body. Because of the tummy tuck, I have to walk hunched over and this quickly puts a strain on your back. So second lesson: walk with the help of your IV pole/cane/walker/buddy. I have 2 drains in my tummy, which are mildly annoying. I forgot about them once when I got out of bed and pulled on one a bit which caused some bleeding. Boo. I was surprised that I could move my arms relatively freely and pain free. I could even put weight on my arms to lift myself out of bed, type on my laptop, feed myself, and go to the washroom by myself. I may not have been very efficient, but I could do it. Also, I could brush my teeth but not my hair. Nor could i adjust my head pillows. Basically anything where I have to raise my arms above shoulder height is a no-go. My boobs didn't/don't hurt at all. As if nothing was even done there. I got to see all the work done when the nurse changed my dressings. My arms are tiny. My boobs are nice and perky with matching nipples (my previous breast reduction had one of the nipples wrinkle/fold over at the outer edge and my guy fixed it). My tummy is wrinkle free and my new belly button looks better than the old one. My inner thighs from the front has been smoothed out! This was an unexpected bonus My va-jay-jay, however, is quite "perky". When I look down sitting in bed it stares right up at me. My nurse said she noticed it was swollen. She said it is a combination of being yanked up and the use of the stomach binder. Didn't show it to surgeon this first day, but will remember to bring i up when I see him before I leave. Today I had a cup of coffee, 1/2 a chicken breast and some beef jerky. Day 2: Now today I feel exponentially better. I got an a good seven hours of continuous sleep. When I woke up I could feel that my pain meds had worn off but I was able to get out of bed and walk to the washroom just fine. I can tell I'm walking much faster now and am much less hunched over. I could probably skip the pain meds from now on but I think based on @sillykitty's comments, i'll take them for another day or so. Mr. has already filled my prescriptions, so I may as well take them. I'll play it by ear. I find that the only real pain I get is from twisting my torso. I can easily do a sit up or leg lift motion pain free, but if I twist in any way, I get a sharp pain. Everything else is bearable. On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd say my pain level is about 1.5. Compare this to the pain of WLS recovery, which I would have given an 8 at its worst. They took the IV out this morning because my swollen hands were basically embedding that entry thing into my flesh and it was starting to hurt. They tried to put a new one in twice but couldn't find a vein because I'm too swollen. They asked if I was OK with them trying a third time, and I was all, No Thanks. IV insertion hurts, man! So they are off finding an alternate antibiotic to administer without an IV. I'm supposed to be discharged sometime today but honestly I'd rather stay because I love these leg massager things. Plus I like the adjustable hospital bed! Anyway just hanging around now waiting for my surgeon and next instructions. P.S. I ate 1/2 an omelette & a peach yogurt cup so far today.

Saturday 2.24.18 Update (4 days post-surgery) 224.2lbs I feel really great! The only pain meds I'm taking are the 30day prescription for gabapentin which heals the nerves, and liquid sugar free tylenol. Fluids go down so easily! I'm able to take in 8oz per hour without issues (that includes protein drinks). I'm still enjoying the same protein drinks as pre-surgery without a sweet aversion, but I think it's because I like to mix it up with different liquids to extend it? Dunno! Last night I had a touch of fever, 99.2 (not a real fever at all), but I think it was enough to set off some nausea. So I just rested in my recliner with a cold cloth to my throat and things got better quickly! I woke up this morning and took my meds and pain is great and no nausea or fever! So I dodged a bullet there! Also, taking my pills hasn't been an issue either, they go down quietly and know to stay down! LOL! I'm already cooking for Mr. F. and am having no issues with yearnings or cravings! I made him a bacon egg cheese low carb breakfast taco this morning and I was like, "Meh! It looks dynamo, but I'm looking forward to my yogurt soup! Very surreal! I'm getting my walking in as planned, and it's just fine. I'm poopin' just fine thanks to MOM. The GasX strips are golden! I love them and they really work. I'm going to be adding my vitamins today. Hope that doesn't tip the balance of fine! So far, "no regerts"! This morning I'm having my first thinned down Greek yogurt, aka yogurt soup! It's divine! Here's the recipe: Blueberry Yogurt Serves 1 - 2 (about 1/2 cup volume) 3oz (85g) Greek fat free plain yogurt (HEB) 1floz (28g) Premier Protein vanilla RTD 1floz (28g) Walden Farms blueberry syrup 1tsp (1.75g) benefiber 3 drops liquid vanilla stevia Mix it all together and enjoy! Nutritionals: 73cals; 12g protein; 0g fat; 5g carbs; 2g fiber; 3g net carbs; 3g sugar

Day 7 - Week 1 Post Surgery - 222.8lbs (Wahooo! Almost down to surgery day weight--only 0.4lbs left!) Hello my dearies! This morning is another fanflippintastic day! I slept really well and had a good day yesterday. I walked throughout the day. Am still having probs walking for longer than 10minute intervals, but I did 5 of those intervals yesterday and I'm hoping they count for something. I surpassed my fluid goals and made my protein goal almost exactly. I'm having no difficulties swallowing or keeping it down. I know everyone experiences this, but I don't feel any/little resistance when eating yogurt or jello or broths/cream soups. So I know it will happen when I eat a dense protein, but it's still a little un-nerving. The irrational paranoia that "my pouch is too big" is strong within me. LOL. Nothin like a little crazy to brighten my day! Oh, I made a revelation last night! Apparently gabapentin can make you addicted to it! I've been taking it since Day 1 after surgery 1800mg/daily. It can also cause weight gain! Fu*k me!! So apparently, it's not good to cold turkey it. You have to wean off of it. Now, I've only been taking it a week, so maybe I don't have to wean off of it? But hells to the max! I started last night to decrease from 1800/day to 1500/day. Then today I will do 1200/day, reducing by 1 pill per day until I'm only on 1 pill and can stop it. I do NOT want to deal with that withdrawal, and I'm not even sure it's doing anything for me except making me sleepy and slow. The food impatience is growing with me. I'm longing for purees. LOL. And the blasted Ricotta Bake keeps whispering my name--especially around evening meal time. But, this liquid phase lasts only a short time. And come Wednesday morning of next week, I will so enjoy my first egg! I count the lovely days! Ok, that's my update! Breakfast is going to be my PB and B Progurt! Have I mentioned that I the stuff?

I had surgery 6/2 so I’m in purées… I made a ricotta bake - I found the recipe on TikTok. SO good. Scratched the itch for pizza / lasagna. I’m also currently loving vanilla Greek yogurt with PB2 mixed in… nice peanut buttery treat!

Au contraire, mon ami! My liquid diet is 8 days prior to surgery - mostly milk and yogurt and clears, then clears only 24 hours before. I might be ready to perish at that point!

I want to sooo bad I’m 5 days out and my dr is very strict. Yogurt Ricotta Cottage cheese Strained cream soup Pudding And allowable liquids that’s it 😕

I had my surgery on the 19th, and I am just now to the point where I am hungry. Try taking some plane yogurt and adding some of your protein powder to it. I know that when I was doing my pre-op diet, I was having a really hard time with finding something that would stop the hunger pains, and this really helped. Good Luck!

Hmmm, I wish I could relate to this but I was not hungy the first week at all. As a matter of fact the first days I had to force my self to eat and would stop when I was full. Maybe you should eat more of the jello, popsicles, and yogurt in between.

I had "The Last Supper" before I started my liquids only. It was a grilled steak, baked potato and salad and I didn't feel guilty one bit. I was super strict for the liquids after that and ended up losing 20 lbs pre-op. It didn't affect my surgery at all. You'll probably be surprised and not be able to eat as much as you used to. And you're right, it's gonna be a looooooooooong time before you eat that kind of food again. I'm almost 2 months post-op and still eating soup, yogurt and oatmeal. So far I'm down 67 lbs and going strong. (So enjoy you're meal today (and have a little bite for me please)!!!

Okay all..I had my third fill on Thursday. This is the first time I can actually tell a difference. Question is..how do I know if I'm right or filled too much. Before, I could eat pretty much anything. Now, I am having to drink protein shakes in the morning and I can feel them going down and bubbling as they go down. I tried to do some yogurt but it didn't want to go. As the day goes on, I am able to eat more. Meat is very tricky. Right now I'm trying some turkey for lunch and bite one is still sitting there. Let me know if I'm where I'm supposed to be.

Good Morning, Dianne, sounds like your esophagus is irritated from the PB and raw from it. If your going to eat food, I would have very soft food for a day (yogurt or pudding), even a liquid diet might be good for a day to help it heal. Betty glad you enjoyed your bike ride. Some times ya gotta say WTF Cindy you'd die if you saw my closets and drawers... clutter bug for sure. Some day I'll clean them but not now, life is passing me by and the drawers are the last thing I want to do. But mostly I'm lazy :scared: :D Pat how was the banquet? You know, I've never had a manicure. My dd is 5 and she's had 2 already. I lead such a sheltered life RoFLMfAO !!!! :scared: Well nothing much is happening here today except aunt flow decided to visit me yesterday and ruining my weekend.... I get so grumpy and so dang tired I could sleep for 2 days strait... its not fare I tell yah lolol. Today I'm making tuna salad for the week and ribs (with out burning them this time lolol) and some acorn squash mmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmm. Whatcha all up to?

i will try yogurt today. i have not been able to eat anything for the last 5 days really. some broth here and there. last night was the first real food i got to eat with those potatoes. it was amazing! LOL

Duh...I just NOW saw this tread.:faint:Anyway, you know we're praying for you over here at our house. I do hope they take your tonsils out. Have your tried yogurt? The acidophilus may be helpful since you've been on the antibiotics.

Lisa checking in...at 243. Down 2! Yay! Been working A LOT this week, but I've done really well packing healthy foods, like grilled chicken, grilled talapia, steamed brussel sprouts and broccoli. Snacks of yogurt, cottage cheese and of course my daily Protein drink. Only negative was no time for the gym will try to make up for that next week Only had a chance to quickly browse the check ins, but it sounds like for the most part most had a good week, and those that didnt dont seem discouraged so our first weeks seems like a WIN. Looking forward to this challenge but I am going to take it one week at a time. Lisa

I've recently discovered that Greek yogurt is a good substitute for cream cheese but I hadn't thought about mayo. I make great deviled eggs and I know at least my husband would love me to make more. Hmmm. Eggs are on sale this week.