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5 months out!! 63 pounds gone!! I'm feeling so good! I can walk, get on the floor(and back up), no back pain, no knee pain...I could go on and on. I have more to lose, but these pounds off have made a huge difference in my quality of life! Let's see. my typical day goes like this: Breakfast: 12 oz coffee with 2 scoops of protein powder, blue agave sugar, and on Sunday's I add an almond joy creamer. 48 grams of protein out the way! Lunch: if I eat any it is usually something very small. I don't usually get to feeling like I need something until around 3-4pm. I can have a lettuce wrap. Turkey, cheese w/ ranch in a lettuce leaf. (I like the butter lettuce b/c it rolls well and w/o tearing up) OR a piece of fruit/cheese or yogurt with healthy granola i found and flax seed. Supper: I don't eat any white bread, rice, potatoe, pasta. (I have found black bean tortilla at sams that I love.) Whatever I cook for my family is what I eat just altered to exclude the above. I feed them quinoa, fresh veggies.... and they pretty much eat whatever sides fit my diet better. I adjust my meat to their tastes. Which I'm very lucky and don't have picky kids or hubby!! I do have sugar free snacks and make sugar free stuff to snack on but usually I'm so busy I don't need it. My goal is to lose 10 pounds a month. I still have a hard time getting in all the water but it is getting better. water on an empty stomach makes me very nauseas! I still add lemon and that helps a lot! All suppliments are still the same. Only thing is I find my hair is falling out A LOT!!! hopefully it's from surgery and will slow down. kinda scary!! sure don't want to be skinny and BALD.. I do excercise. I walk outside with my boys and have an eliptical. 45 minutes on that is all I can handle! Minnie has given me quite the fright a couple of times. I went to have some dungenous crabs on a date night. DELISH! Minnie loved them!! And I loved them a little to much! On the "last" bite I swallowed some spicy juices and had to drink something. Just a sip to quit choking. OH MY WORLD!! it was a horrible time. lol I foamed and spit till I had a puddle beside my car! NEVER again will I ever push Minnie to that point!! I ALWAYS leave room for a small sip just in case I should need it!! And I have to be very carefull of vinegar. Very little vinegrette on my salad!! Or there will be a foamy mess! Haven't actually thrown up food, ever! Just the foamy stuff. THANKS GOD! I def. respect the "last" bite warning!! And I've learned to be content with whatever that amount is. lol No eating more later just cause it was good!! NO GRAZING! Well, that's about it for now. I hope ur journey has been as successful as mine. I get so many compliments now on my weight loss. People can really tell that I look smaller. For a while only the close friends that saw me realized. Now even the not so close friends look twice and make a comment! Feels good to be working hard and people can see the results...Finally! Used to aggrivate me how some "skinny" people can lose 10 pounds and it look like they lost 30 and went down 2 dress sizes!! Now I'm finally making headway! And I can celebrate in action instead of just a "celebration dinner"!!! I am determined to do a color run! I may walk it but I will do it!! Enjoy your VS journey!

I need help and ideas on what to eat?? Tomorrow will be my second out six nutrition class and I am already going crazy on what to eat.. I received paperwork listed with things I can have , but I can't buy them right now. For the past month I have been eating nothing but chicken, fish, oatmeal, boiled eggs, and light ant fit Greek yogurt. I find myself getting bored eating the same things over and over again. Oh I have had salad and salmon too! I lost 6lbs doing what I am doing and happy with the results, just that if I eat chicken for lunch I don't want it for dinner! My plan allows me to eat 3 out 5 food categories, with no fruit it carbs after lunch or dinner. I just have to make sure I am eating my Protein. I need some food ideas so can you please post me some good things to try other than the usual or a way I can be creative with what I eat. I really really want this to work . Thanks to everyone in advance ! I feel like a lost puppy.

I have been working to optimize nutrition pretty much throughout this whole process, within the limits of our restricted volume/calories and high Protein requirements of our sleeve – to me, the popular ketogenic diets leave too much nutrition behind to be worth whatever benefit they’re supposed to provide. From relatively early on I have regularly had small salads with a couple ounces of meat, mixed in an ounce or so of raspberries with my greek yogurt, frequently along with some almond and oat or wheat bran for added Fiber. I averaged a 2-3 nominal fruit/veg servings per day (against 7-8 pre-op). Potatoes were frequently present as an efficient source of potassium and mid-way thru the process some whole grain bread was added strategically as a complex carb source for fueling extended workouts. Now, in the transition to maintenance mode for the past month or so, I’m getting in 4-5 fruit/veg servings per day and my stretch goal is to minimize supplements long term. A few days have avoided Calcium supplements (2000mg per day is my target) and I sometimes see 80- 85% of the potassium RDA (that’s a tough one to supplement without Rx.) I have added back the morning snack that I dropped early on in the loss phase and sometimes have two small afternoon Snacks as needed to boost the calories and nutrition. Today’s menu as follows – B: 3 turkey breakfast sausage, with wheat toast/butter (good pre-workout profile for morning personal trainer session.) S: non-SF instant breakfast (the moderate sugar dose aids in transport of protein to muscle cells: SF version used where appropriate. I used to use Protein shakes for this but don’t need that much of a protein load anymore.) L: salad with chopped turkey breast, spinach, avo, tomato, snap pea, carrot, broccoli, yellow pepper, green onion, cheese S: can of low sodium V8 (great source of potassium), greek yogurt w raspberries and almond granola D: pot roast, roasted potato, broccoli S: protein loaded pudding on a piece of eggface protein cake. I have been evolving my practices of high density nutrition for several years, since my wife when thru her WLS journey with a DS several years ago and worked toward beating her down the scale (only partially succeeded, but did attain good weight stability prior to going with the sleeve to finish the job.) There’s no particular single source that we’ve used but a combination of various nutrition (as opposed to “diet”) books and the tracking software we have long used (an offline program called Nutribase, which is a slightly lightened version of what is marketed to the professional trade, as we weren’t satisfied with the online resources such as Fitday that were available at the time,) along with continued fiddling with recipes and personal preferences. As I had already worked out healthy dietary practices (other than the volume problem solved by the sleeve,) I was rather averse to the idea of doing any of the fad diets, medically supervised or not, which have such a low probability of success instead of WLS (and certainly wasn’t too keen on doing any of them post-op, either – thankfully my doc hasn’t gotten caught up in any of those fads.) With the lower volume available with the sleeve along with the general protein and caloric restrictions involved (I averaged 1000-1100 cal per day) I was able to adjust my pre-op dietary practices to my post-op needs by emphasizing the protein and dropping some of the less nutrionally dense items off the menu during the weightloss period, but generally still maintaining a reasonable nutritional balance within the remaining calorie allotment. Now, in the maintenance phase, I can add back some of those less nutritionally dense items as I work to optimize things, and don’t have the problem of having to wean off of a special deficiency diet back to normal practices – the downfall of most of the special ultra low cal type diets. I never needed to make major philosophical changes to my diet to make the sleeve work, nor to move into healthy maintenance practices. Good luck in your efforts,

So im 7 weeks out and I'm supposed to be transitioning into the "regular food" stage. When i started the soft food stage at week 4 things were good i could eat about a cup of almost everything even minced chicken. But now for the last 2 weeks nothing goes down well everything makes me nauseous I've thrown up every other day. And can't have more than 1/4 cup of anything except yogurt. So lets say I'm not getting all my protein. Besides i have no appetite or desire to eat. Feeling really down about this cause i really want to get in enough because I don't want to slow down my weight loss. Ughhh so frustrating

I find adding a nonfat Greek yogurt to the unjury and unsweetened cocoa powder..adds a nice bitterness so they are not too sweet..add a touch of sugar free syrup for smoothies....delicious! I'm feeling very lucky because nothing has turned my stomach yet, but, I'm chewing everything to a swishing, watery pulp. I chew everything including yogurt, pudding and liquids. With the bypass we are lucky that we still have the residual stomach that secrets digestive enzymes which are activated in large part by the mechanics of chewing. And the saliva from the mouth....That helps the food get down and stay down as far as I'm concerned...chew, chew and chew some more. :-)

I was on a low-fat/low-calorie, which is all my surgeon requires. For the week before surgery, I did a diet consisting of two protein shakes, two greek yogurts, and one protein bar per day. Diets can vary a lot by surgeons.

Follow your doctor's orders, in my 'Bariatric Bible' (that's what I call it) from Forest Park Medical Center in Dallas, below is a cut and paste on week 2 & 3. Dr. Davidson said NOTHING that won't go through a straw. I added sugar free Jello with sugar free cool whip. Just something most won't think about. I hope this helps. Gastric Sleeve – Weeks 2 and 3 Add cream/blended soups and drinkable yogurts NO lumps, bumps, or chunks! Continue Multivitamin and mineral supplements Use Protein supplements 1-2x per day (goal 40-60 grams/day)

Peppercma, I read your blog. Thanks for sharing all your details. Did you say yogurt was considered a clear liquid pre-op? That would be great! What else did you drink? broth, gatorade?

Don't be discouraged! 19 lbs is awesome!! My first couple days of soft food I made tuna salad (tuna, eggs, a little light mayo, and a small piece of pickle) I blended in my ninja until it was about baby food consistency. I also eat Greek yogurt for breakfast. Today I ate an egg (well, most of it anyway) that was mushy/runny. Tonight I'll try to make chicken salad but I plan on leaving it just a little chunkier than my puréed tuna- just so I can slowly get used to a thicker consistency- baby steps. I hope this helps you!

Thank you. I'm not vegetarian or vegan, I just get sick from whey proteins specifically. I can have milk/yogurt/etc totally fine... but when it's a whey shake... super nauseous. I use soy protein shakes. I've found a few things off the bariatricpal site that I've ordered, like the lentil curry and the sloppy joe mix. I did order the oatmeal, which I believe is whey, but sometime it's hit or miss so I'm going to give it a shot!

I’m experiencing the same! My surgery was 09/21/17 on Thursday & I weighed myself this past Thursday (at 1 week post op) & I lost 10lbs. I go see my surgeon & dietitian for my post op appointment tomorrow. I just weighed myself an hour ago (in the evening & not right in the morning like I usually do) & weighed the same from 3 days ago. I’m allowed to eat creamed soups, yogurts, sugar free pudding, popsicles & protein shakes. I’m getting about 40oz only too. I’m a little down. Maybe this week will be better? Keep your chin up! We will succeed!!

Hi everyone. I had a gastric sleeve on September 12th 2017. In 9 days I lost 12 lbs and was ecstatic. Since my weigh in at the dr on 9.21.17 i have not lost 1lb! I am the exact same weight. I was put on soft foods on 9.22 and have been eating yogurt, eggs, chicken. Trying my hardest to get all my fluids, but averaging about 40 oz of fluid a day. Has anyone else experienced weight loss Plateau this close to the surgery date? It seems awfully soon to not be losing weight. Any suggestions or comments would be appreciated. Thank you. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G928A using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi Elle; Thanks for the post! The skim milk powder I am adding to tomatoe juice (heated to make myself believe it is cream of tomatoe soup), I add it to my oatmeal, peanut butter, and soy milk shakes, I also add it to my yogurt and everything else that has or could have a creamy texture! I was a little skeptical at first about throwing it in to everything but it works for me. The protien really does keep me full and I even have a hard time finding room to add extras in the diet if I may be hungry later. Lots of protien and lots of water seems to be working for me! I knwo this wont work for everyone but I appreciate the sharing so that I am exposed to new ideas and in turn thought someone may be interested in my experiences too!

I have experienced more constriction as time has progressed. At this point, I can only do a half a yogurt.

In the beginning I could eat a whole activa yogurt no problems. It's not really a "solid" Your fine

Week two, and I just finish my 4 oz pureed dinner after working through it slowly for an hour. Realizing that I needed 6 more grams of Protein to close out my day, I sat down with a yogurt. I realize that unlike last week where I couldn't get in a sip without feeling like I'd explode, I can now actually work through a yogurt, even after a 4 oz dinner. I'm not okay with this. Is this allowed?!

Wow your doctor advanced you fast. I wish I could have chilli I'm 4 days post up and I'm on full liquids until the 27th. Then I go for my 2 week check up and move to puréed. I am also hungry now. I chalk it up to the liquids not having any real body to them to fill me. I did have a thicker soup for dinner tonightA butternut squash with a dollop of FF Greek yogurt. Yummy and filled me a lot more then the broth and jello has been! I hope when I get to puréed I'm not hungry still. Like others though I've heard it takes a little while for us to get to a feeling of full.

I am 5 days post op, I had my first "hunger" pain in the middle of the night last night. I grabbed a Sugar Free 10 calorie Jello cup and could only eat half of it and I was more than satisfied. I am on liquids till I think Friday and then can switch over to "soft" (consistenancy of yogurt). But if they tell me liquids for another week, I won't fight it, I am not prepared to move up yet....mentally!

I'll tell you what I did. What I took to the hospital...bipap machine, pony tail, chapstick, phone and charger. What I wish I'd also brought... gas x strips. Puree foods I liked Greek yogurt, Wendy's chili and taco bell pintos and cheese. Make sure you have broth to thin out food going in the blender. I preferred the little 6 oz water bottles because they're easier to handle and won't get warm as quickly since you can only sip such a small amount at a time. I use regular spoons but know to just put a small amount on it. I was glad I only had to do pureed for one week. Sent from my SM-N920T using BariatricPal mobile app

So-- I had my third fill and refused a fourth because I keep getting stuck. Several times a week, I have to "spit" out food stuck above my band. I feel this is self-induced( though time of day influences it as well.) I'm actually scared of another fill. I am afraid I will actually choke or vomit. I'm hungry. Some days I feel like i can eat and eat and eat( bottomless pit!) I'm hungry every few hours. I'm guessing I am not in green zone but I'm afraid of more fill! Any advice? I'm modifying my bites and chews, but I've even been stuck on yogurt!

mine was last year on the 15th the best I feel and look good luck to all I started out at 252 ending is 172 from size 18-20 to size 10-12 happy very very happy I have a hard time still keeping certain foods down and I definitely stop eating at 5pm only Water which is fine sometimes I still have dumping syndrome but that is my own fault trying to eat more which only because I am hungry or the food is there I try to eat it all at once which is bad, the only advice I can give is as soon as you leave the hospital walk on treadmill or out side for one hour just walk oh yeah there is flab but keep exercising it won't hurt as much when you look in the mirror physical work will tighten the muscle but you have to work for it, two months ago I got on a sugar binge which is very bad but I was full terrible habit I am breaking that habit now because I do not want to gain I am totally scared to gain any weight. I eat a lot of yogurt lamb chops turkey deli rolled up no bread at all no Pasta pizza half slice from whole foods only I find I can only eat foods from whole foods or the fresh market, I hope you all make it you all sound excited also go to the support meetings wonderful. for Protein extra protein I use Proteinex from amazon p18 or p 100 I put it in my cherry yogurt from oikos I go to Vitamin shoppe get banana bites good for potassium love them small bag $1.99b 400mgs Vitamins chewable for me and nascobal b12 then I have chewable b12 and b complex Multivitamin chewables just as good as what the doctors office uses

Welcome to the ranks of "the not so lucky few" that lose their hunger forever or for a time (like the first year). I lasted 10 days and then my hunger returned. I know what stomach acid feels like (and that wasn't it) and I took Prilosec 2x a day anyway. I thought for sure I'd end up cheating, as I did during my 1st wk following my lapband surgery 4 yrs ago. I had 4 long weeks of liquids (never clear, thank God) then soft for 4 weeks. I was single when I had my lapband surgery so it was much easier to cheat. Plus there wasn't risk of a major problem ie: leak. Everytime I wanted to eat something (just yogurt or something harmless, imo), my husband became the food Nazi. I knew he would tattle on me when I had my 4 weeks post op visit. So I did stick it out. Not sure how ull get thru on clear liquids, I thought I was starving with cream soups and Protein shakes. Hats off to u tho. Drink lots of broth - warm fills u up more than cold. R u allowed to use unflavored Protein powder? That may help fill u up a little if u can use it. I feel for u. Truly. Longest 4 weeks of my life. Good luck. And don't risk getting a leak just to chew something, please. Read the complications forums about the few people that gets leaks. My dr said most are caused by people advancing their diet too quikly. Convinced me enuf...

Thank you all for the support. I contacted my nurse program director about my hunger and was told to drink Water. I also tried to bring up my frustration with the nutritionist and was told to talk to my doctor, which I attempted to. I told him of my mental dullness as well (I'm a therapist and I was finding myself searching for words at times during session... I don't know if that has anything to do with my diet). My Dr. was more concerned with my blood pressure, which is at an all time high! I was shocked and worried about how high it is and I take my meds. I was so worried about it, and my doctor told me just to keep taking the meds and ignored my other concerns. I was really frustrated and scared. When I bumped into my nurse program director he told me that it is very difficult to get an accurate blood pressure because of your size". He told me I was probably suffering from "white coat syndrome' which elevated my blood pressure. I have never experienced that in the past. Basically, no one I contacted took much heed to how I was feeling. Don't get me wrong, I think my team is fantastic and awesome, but the one size fits all dietary regimen wasn't working for me and now I was cared and worried about my blood pressure. Well, I did the worst thing I could possibly do. I snuck 4 or 5 Hershey kisses. I felt horrible mentally and physically. Mentally, I felt like a failure and physically I felt a sugar rush that made my head hurt, but tummy was fine. I was shocked that I didn't get physically ill just didn't like all that sugar. So instead of beating myself up, binging, or crying about it (like I always did before surgery) I decided to get proactive. I researched 10 different programs dietary guidelines for the gastric sleeve and decided to follow the most common dietary guidelines, which was full liquids for the next two weeks. (I'm supposed to still be on clear liquids...not even Protein shakes until next week). I had a fat free yogurt and now I feel, dare I say it, normal? I know my choice may not be one that people agree with, and that's ok. I know I cheated on the diet and that may be a sign that I will not reach my goal or be noncompliant in a way that will undermine my efforts, I will deal with that and work to better myself and attain my goal. But I'm just trying to break my old patterns and own up to my struggles. This has been so hard, but I'm hoping I can make it.

I too would like to hear how everyone is doing. I'm almost 2 months post-op. I have lost 37 lbs and feel great. I have more energy and I don't get winded easily. I'm getting worried about the hair lost.....hasn't happed yet but from what I understand it starts around the 3rd month. What is everyone eating and how much? I’m worried that I might slowly start to stretch my stomach. I try to get in 70 grams of protein a day and most days its a success. I too have had the hiccups, starting the day after surgery, but they have gotten fewer and fewer. Crossing my legs is a good feeling….thanks for reminding me Marilyn! Hope everyone else is doing great and if you have any food ideas or tips please pass them along. One thing I have been doing for lunch is making chicken salad, I use canned chicken and instead of mayo I have been using Oiko’s Greek Yogurt. Then I add a little bit of powder ranch mix. I love the Oiko’s Greek Yogurt because it not as tart and it is loaded with protein. Good Luck to everyone!

It's made by Muscle Milk. They have lots of yummy flavors. It's really good by itself or with a squirt of Torani Caramel syrup. I also mix it with Greek yogurt and chopped nuts and freeze it for a protein ice cream treat. I ordered it online, but I think GNC carries Muscle Milk, too.