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@@Bufflehead As part of my post op, I did Clear Liquids for two weeks. Now I'm on full liquids for two weeks. I'm not counting calories or Protein. I'm allowed to have this carnation Breakfast, skim, fat free or 1%milk, sugar free/ low fat pudding, strained low fat Soups, no sugar added low fat yogurt, sugar free Popsicles, sugar free Jello. thinned grits, oatmeal and cream of rice and wheat, in addition to the broth and other stuff from the clear liquid diet. I am allowed to add Protein Powder to my milk and I know it's ok to add it to yogurt. I don't necessarily call it a Protein shake tho lol. It's just adding a scoop of protein powder to get in more protein. So I don't feel like I'm not in compliance. Just happened to add it to this carnation meal of that makes sense lol. I sip Water all day and can eat some Soup, sugar free jello and sugar free Popsicles the rest of the day. Trying to get in more protein where I can add it and have it be bearable to eat too. VSG 6/17/2016

I've started having a Protein coffee or chai latte every morning. I have a low carb Protein powder (IsoFlex vanilla - half a gram of carbs per scoop) and I take two scoops and mix it with half a cup of lowfat milk. Then I brew either a cup of coffee or a cup of chai tea and mix them together. Sometimes I pour the mixture over ice, sometimes I don't. With the milk and protein I use, this is about 282 calories, 8 grams of carbs, 1 gram of fat and 60 grams of protein. If I have calories to spare or if I just plain feel like it, I'll add a Tbs. of french vanilla coffee creamer for a bit more vanilla boost. If I wanted to have less calories I'd only use one scoop of protein, which would make it 171 calories, 8 grams of carbs, 1 gram of fat and 33 grams of protein. This helps boost my calories and the carbs are low enough that I still stay within my personal goals for the day. If I don't start my day with this Protein Drink, I have trouble hitting even 500 calories for the day. I still have no desire to eat, and I still only eat miniscule portions. I find myself getting "stopped up" very frequently with any type of meat unless it's (disgustingly) coated with gravy, so I find myself gravitating to "easy" sources of protein like cheese, cottage cheese, greek yogurt and protein powders. Good luck, La. You're doing great on the weight loss, by the way! ~Cheri

I love adding chia and flax to my oatmeal, yogurt, and shakes. YUMMY

I eat bananas every day too! no problems at all. Hey here is an idea for those have a hard time with bananas, put a banana in a mini food processor, scoop into a little cup, freeze overnight. You got yourself a healthy frozen treat! You can also get creative with this and add other fruits, yogurts, etc...

LOL - Thanks... Happy to answer any questions I can. Yes, I work full time, at a desk, no physical job. I do Protein Shakes randomly, not as much as I used to. I've had 3 fills and I'm right around 5 cc's, I believe. Do I diet? No, I HATE the D word with a passion. Have I made changes? Absolutely, but they are lifestyle changes that have made my band all that much more successful. I've cut out breads, pastas, etc. Sometimes, if I'm really craving something, yeah, I will have it because I'm not DIETING. Dieting is the big ass mean elephant in the room for me. If I'm dieting, I'm doing without and if I'm doing without, well then, that is what I want most. So, do I ever cheat? I'm not "dieting" so there is nothing to cheat on. If I want a bite of ice cream, I take a bite of ice cream, BUT and this is a big big BUT, I do have the will power to LIMIT it. I don't need it, it's a want, I can live without the want, but I'm the type of person that if I don't let myself have something when I want it, I'm going to ruin myself when I finally do snap and eat it all. So, yeah, I have the will power to limit it. My guilty pleasure at the moment. LEMONHEADS!!! BUT, I count out 10 a day and after I eat those 10, that's it, no more. If I get a craving, then I move on to something else to get my mind off of it. If I absolutely cannot, then I have a little something. Freezer pops are good for this, lol. It's a balancing act but something literally flipped when I had surgery. I don't know where or how I got all this will power regarding food from but I do. I've taken to heart that this is a TOOL one that I am lucky lucky to have and I am not going to screw this up. I can't, this is my chance. Plus, I'm terrified of complications, so I probably baby my band a lot more than some. Lastly.... I exercise my ass off. When I hit 250, not even a month after surgery, I started running, and started with a mile. I now run 3-4 miles a day, 6 times a week. I try to run at least one 5k a month. I will tell you, I would not have been this successful without all the exercise. Good luck to everyone on your journeys. It is entirely worth it, everything that you change about your life is for the better! Typical day... Get up around 6am, read in bed for about an hour. During the school year, I'm getting the kids up and ready out the door by about 8:30am. I start work anytime between 8am and 9am. Depending on how busy I am during the day, if I have the time, I get in my run at lunch, if not then I work through lunch and usually eat at my desk. I'm off around 5pm. Getting dinner ready. If I didn't get my run in earlier, then as a family, we go out and run together in the evening. Food wise... Pretty much the same for most of the day, every day. Breakfast - I will either have EggBeaters or make 1 egg, scrambled. Lunch is usually 1/2 cup of 99% FF Chili or canned chicken with Laughing Cow cheese. Dinner is whatever I cook or my husband cooks. We live in a warm client, so we do a lot of grilling. If I feel hungry during the day, I'll eat a Chobani yogurt or something similar. Lots and lots of water/Crystal Light.

I pack instant oatmeal, fruit, and get individual greek yogurt cups. I carry a small cooler and fill it with a bag of ice if the room doesn't have a fridge. Earlier out, I brought my shaker cup, vanilla Protein powder and Starbucks instant Via Decaf. Makes a great room temp drink with lots of protein. I still like buffets because I can have a little bite of so many things. And usually includes the drink. So I drink a cup of coffee first, then eat a little of several protein and fruits and finish with a little grain. But I wouldn't pick a buffet on my own, that's just if I'm eating with others. Lynda

Are you on "Full Liquid" or clear? For me, on full liquids I could have sugar free/fat free pudding/ thinned cream of wheat, plain yogurt. Are you also having shakes?

lol I stocked up with like a 3 month supply of protein drink mixes, protein water, SF jello and pudding, bone broth, creamed soups, Greek yogurt... After what I've been able to get down there last year days I realized it's probably actually 6+ months worth of supplies considering I'm only eating a tablespoon here and a teaspoon there. Heck one small box of Jello will serve me twice a day for a week. Plus, my taste buds are suddenly changing and I'm not even enjoying my meals except the protein shakes which thankfully I still love. Sent from my XT1635-01 using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi! I had the sleeve tumor removal and hiatal hernia repair on 4/8 today was my first day back at work. Week one was rough! I am a healthcare worker who works 12 hr shifts so I had the same fears you are talking about. I am lucky enough that my program has its own app I am sure anyone can use it Baritastic. You can log everything you need. I set reminders every 30 mins to remind me to drink (at 14 days post op I can comfortably drink 2oz in about 5 mins) it took a lot of trial and error finding the right cup to drink out of. The easiest for me was the Yeti slider lid you can sip comfortably. I also set a reminder every 4 hours to eat/drink protein. It also has vitamin reminders. I bought toddler 4oz snack cups to put my yogurt, egg salad, and refried beans (I started purée yesterday). I drink in between Patients and take 15 min break to eat then my lunch break and 15 right now where I eat my 1/3 cup of which ever. Today worked out great I am getting my food and fluids in as hoped. I also started my day with a pre made protein shake. I was so afraid I wouldn’t have energy. I have been walking about 3 miles a day for the past 5 days but I took yesterday off, and today I just walked 15 mins at lunch. Hopefully this is helpful. Good luck!

I've got the same thing. The only protein I can drink is Unjury. And the only meal replacement I can drink is Chike (it's got 23 g of protein). And for another minus- I'm allergic to soy, so I gotta be extremely careful. Sometimes yogurt will help with the allergy as well. But you can't have that pre op.

I'm 6 days out. I had yogurt for the first time and I'm a little uncomfortable. Could I have done damage? I had 3 ounces over an hour and half. Ate with a baby spoon. Pressure and maybe a little painful in my left shoulder. Maybe too soon? I didn't thin it out with milk and maybe I should have but I've done well with puréed soups. Thought I could handle it.

I don't think its bad necessarily for you to be below 1000 caories for a few days -- but IMHO its all of the yo-yo dieting we've done over the years that has messed up our metabolisms -- so a low calorie plan for a few days or weeks might trigger gain once you start eating more calories. And of course if you cut out carbs, once you have them you could regain some, but with that said, instead of a liquid diet - have you tried the plateau busting diet? I am sure you have seen it: (I have it saved but haven't tried it yet!) Dr. Fox' weight loss plateau/stall diet. Heard of it? It's ONLY for 10 days.....We could easily drop 10 pounds doing this...<o =""></o> 2 quarts of Water EVERDAY<o =""></o> 45 grms Protein supplements EVERYDAY<o =""></o> Daily Vitamins<o =""></o> 3 oz. of the following 5 times a day<o =""></o> Beef<o =""></o> Pork<o =""></o> chicken<o =""></o> <st1:country-region><st1 ="">Turkey</st1></st1:country-region><o =""></o> Lamb<o =""></o> Fish<o =""></o> eggs<o =""></o> low-fat cheese<o =""></o> cottage cheese<o =""></o> plain yogurt<o =""></o> Peanut Butter<o =""></o> beans/legumes<o =""></o> <o =""></o> You can also have sugar free popsicles (no real fruit ones though)<o =""></o> tea/coffee/diet soda/crystal lite<o =""></o> 30 mintues of exercise a day.....or more if you wish. Good luck! <o =""> </o>

I can give you a vague menu. For breakfast I usually eat eggs and maybe some chicken sausage. Sometimes one of those prepared mini omelettes. On a rare occasion I have low sugar oatmeal. Calories are usually 250. For dinner I usually eat a meal of chicken, pork, fish, or some type of soup that is high in protein. Calories are usually 250-300. I normally eat snacks of Greek yogurt , certain protein bars, maybe some pistachios, cottage cheese, or lunch meat. I average 800-900 calories a day but I try to eat more on days I’m in the gym or more active. It is tough as I miss some vegetables and need to find more balance of working them in but I just cannot eat a lot. I get about 75 grams of protein and less than 50 grams of carbs a day currently.

I'm not suppose to start pureed foods until next week. The yogurt and protein shakes have helped. I did sneak in some pureed carrots. Bought baby food today.

I've started my pre-surgery diet a wee bit early. I'm supposed to start it 3 weeks prior, but I've started it about 6 weeks early. I've lost 12 pounds so far and I feel great! I'm a bit hungry, but that's okay. Nothing tastes as good as thin feels, right?! My pre-surgery diet, from my nutritionist, is a Slim Fast shake for breakfast, a Lean Cuisine for lunch and a Lean Cuisine for dinner (or variations on that theme). I can have Jell-O pudding (low/no sugar) and low-fat yogurt as a snack. Plus I have a no sugar fruit popsicle for dessert. I'm drinking a TON of water and Crystal Light Iced Tea every day. I'm constantly in the bathroom, but that's okay. I get a lot of exercise getting up from my desk and walking down the hall. I'm eating apples and bananas too and every now and then I eat a salad (with regular dressing - gasp/horror!). I can't go completely off the deep end! LOL Basically, I've stopped drinking diet soda and eating out. I'm limiting my carbs (no bread, rice, potatoes, tortilla's) and cheese intake (sigh - I miss cheese). My goal is to lose 10-15 pounds before my May 13th surgery (found out today at my pre-anestesia appointment that my surgery was bumped up by two days! I'm at 300 now (ugh), but the realization that soon I'll have a "2" as my starting number of my weight has me giddy. The other realization is that I'll never, ever be over 300 lbs again. Oh my god...I could cry. I am so happy.

HI, I had my sleeve on April 22, 2013 in Christiana, Delaware. I say that second time worked, because in April 2007, I had the lapband and it had to be removed with emergency surgery 36 hours later because of a tear in my esophagus. It took me 5 years to seriously look at bariatrics as an option again. I am so thankful I did. My weight had skyrocked to 303 lbs in August 2012. Between the classes and the two weeks of Optifast pre-op I was down to 266 on the day of surgery. Today I weighed myself and I am down to 255. My pain initially was terrible along with lot of nausea, I did however have alot of scar tissue that had to be removed and my surgery was twice as long as the normal sleeve. I can tolerate liquids well, applesauce, cream of wheat and yogurt. Trying something new every day. No more than an ounce at a time, but that is fine with me. I didn't believe it in class, but now I am living it.and it is so true. I will continue to post with updates. This will also help keep me on track..

I'm afraid to start foods. I have had 0 problem with pudding broth yogurt etc. I'm deathly afraid of vomiting! I WILL try, but I'm scared. What is considered a "soft" cheese? Sent from my SM-G930T using BariatricPal mobile app

Mostly, I believe we figure out what our body tolerates the easiest. ( and is healthy). For whatever reason, I'm stuck on my home made split pea soup. Enough fiber and small bits of ham for protein.carrots for vege in there too I still eat fairly slow. And chew a lot. My protein bests: Fairlife milk. Yogurt BAKED tofu,. (Big difference) some nuts. Protein bars. Sometimes protein drinksSometimes eggs/ occasionally rejected ? String cheese Chicken thighs braised, fish After 10 years of experimenting, that is my go to list. Hope you find your list. It helps!

I am enjoying a yogurt smoothie, and will be enjoying some tomato soup for lunch! I never thought I would be so excited for these food items, but I am!!! I read my post-op handbook three times just to make sure I was allowed to eat this week. Just thought I would share my excitement!

Friends, I was banded on 1/27, about 6 1/2 weeks ago and am happy with my 27 pound weightloss.My Dr. Didn't give me a fill since I'm losing at a good pace and I get full pretty quickly.strangely, for the past few days I haven't been hungry at all.I thought it was a reaction to some wine that I drank on Saturday (which gave me reflux all night), but it has been 2 days and I'm still not wanting anything to eat. Up to this point I'd feel some what hungry and have something to eat every 3 hours or so. But it took all I had to drink a yogurt and fruit smoothie this morning. Is this just the way that life rolls with the band? I'm trying to focus on drinking water so at least I stay hydrated. Any thoughts/comments? Best, Loryn

Hi! Welcome. Congrats on your loss. That's a great start for 5 weeks out. But it sounds like you are not eating enough. I use the app my fitness pal to help me count my calories and track my food. I set myself on 750 calories a day with at least 60-75 grams of Protein per day. I use a small portion of fresh fruit of I'm making a shake to make it taste better or o use Premier Protein shakes , these are 30 g of protein and pre-made. I eat cottage cheese or Greek yogurt 100 calories, the tuna packets that are drained and come flavored, ground turkey,.... I just stay away from carbs. Occasionally I will have a small sweet potato with spray butter. Sometimes I feel like I don't have a lot of options but then I pull up Pinterest and see all these great recipes and foods I can make. Good luck! ????

jlweb23: Wow! Sounds like you had quite a rough time! So sorry! Hopefully you can take it easy for a few weeks and just let yourself heal. It sounds like your stomach really needs that time to heal so I would follow just what the doctor orders (liquids) and let it heal. Also I know how tempting it is to want to take the kids to the zoo when you wake up feeling great, but don't over do it - - I literally had to force myself some days to chill and not get over excited when I was feeling good or I would definitely overdo it. For a change in liquids from your EAS protein drinks (I like these too! fast & good protein), you can blend some other protein drinks (strawberry fatfree yogurt with some vanilla protein powder and water/ice, etc) so you're still doing liquid but also getting your protein. Watch that belly button too if it is still oozing any yuck - c/b infected so I'd keep an eye on that. Lots of water and REST REST REST! You're losing so keep the faith!!

I Ordered the sampler pack of unjury Protein powders and it should be here tomorrow . I'm looking forward to trying them, especially the chicken broth. I'm sure that during the pre and post-op liquid diet, having something warm and salty will be a nice break from the sweet protein shakes! I'm also looking forward to trying the unflavored powder. I love Greek yogurt, so being able to up the protein content without changing the flavor will be great. It's crazy to think that only two months from now I could be having my surgery! I'm so excited. Class #5 of 6 is this Friday! I started this journey in January, and time is flying by. My sixth and final class will be June 20, then we can submit for approval with insurance. Has anyone tried the unjury products? What did you think of them?

I had four weeks of full liquids, four weeks of purees, and then four months of soft foods. "Soft foods" = you can cut it easily with a fork. Purees - everything had to be run through a food processor unless it already had a pureed texture, such as poached eggs, refried Beans, yogurt, and cottage cheese. We also had lots of rules about the types of foods to eat (no grains or other high carb/low Protein foods etc.), how much to eat, how often to eat, and so on.

Bandista, I had not known about the squeezes sending signals from the esophagus but keep in mind it is not as though I am eating yogurt and boost drinks all day. I usually have three yogurts a day and two boost drinks. With that amount of calories I cannot get my head around the fact that my weight is not going down any longer. People that are stuck in hospital beds that do NO form of exercise whatsoever still seem to lose weight. This entire situation has been a complete and absolute curse for me and the frustration level is through the roof. Not to mention all the isolation that I am forced to live with because it is difficult and painful to get around with the cane. At 330 I am a big guy and I can't tell you how many times I have taken falls and near falls. Everything I do is a struggle so leaving the Apt. is saved for doctor and dentist visits. I know that something must be done..........