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I am officially 3 weeks out today(sleeved 12/08/15). I am having a very difficult time keeping anything other than Greek yogurt and cottage cheese down. I have also been eating small amounts of sliced cheese because my new tummy can tolerate it and I'm so hungry. I am taking Omeprazole and don't have any typical reflux, I eat very slow(chew, chew, chew and time my meals out according to surgeon), I stop drinking 30 minutes before, nothing to drink during, and nothing 30 minutes after eating. I am starting to feel like a bulimic throwing up everything I eat. I am going to be calling my surgeon tomorrow because I don't want to wait until my one month on the 8th. Any suggestions? Anyone else experience this? I am not even close to my protein goals with just the Greek yogurt and cottage cheese. I am managing to get in my water. I told my surgeon I was throwing up at my two week follow up, but at that point I was only on puréeds and only really having problems with eggs, which he said is a very common issue with eggs. I am on soft foods if I didn't mention that before, but if I can't literally put my fork through it, I don't eat it. This is not fun!

I feel much better now...except I can't eat yogurt or my protein shakes. I haven't got much protein since the surgery.

I'm doing okay, I can't keep the protein shake down. I just tried some yogurt with 12g of protein in it and my sleeve did not agree. How about you?

My usuals are either a protein shake, 1 egg with a little bit of cheese or a yogurt. It all depends how im feeling. I usualy need to wait at least an hour before I can eat something.

Fear-Not making it through the educational program the Nut has instituted before surgery. Other fears post-op I try not to think about until insurance approves a date. I am struggling with staying on plan. There are days I do just fine with 10 grams or more Protein per meal, and under 10 grams each of sugar and fat per meal. But others I am still feeling hungry and wanting to eat more. I'm sure it is a head game, but is this normal? Especially before my cycle, I couldn't keep meals under the fat and sugar content (aversion roughly 15 grams each). I eat a lot of Greek yogurt so my protein can be above 80 sometimes when I have pork or chicken in the same day. Meeting with the Nut after one month next week. I had two bad days over Christmas and regained what I lost so focusing hard this week to get back on track. I hear after surgery you aren't hungry so I am hoping this is normal and just the hormone aspect of hunger that is gone after the sleeve? I also REALLY struggle with slowing down. Taking 10 minutes to eat a yogurt is really slow-but the longest I've taken for a meal is 30 minutes. And I was forcing myself to do that-not sure why that is so hard.

I've been a vegetarian (no eggs or fish) for the past 30 years. Plenty of ways to get protein: tofu (I bake or saute it till it's crisp and using a dipping sauce of soy, ginger and rice wine), lentils (soup or curried), vegetarian chili (crumble tofu), chick pea salad, pea soup, veggie burgers, etc. There's Protein bread, protein Snacks (100 calories/pack and 19 grams of protein), high protein Cereal,( soy or milk based-- lf cottage cheese, lf cheese, nf yogurt, etc) Protein is protein. The difference with some plant based Proteins is they can also be starches. In the case of Beans, a serving would count as one protein and one starch.

I hate yogurt but really like the Dannon Light & Fit Greek that comes in cherry chocolate, or raspberry chocolate. I can almost pretend its cheesecake. Only 80 calories and 12 grams of Protein. Yum-o!

Absolutely not. I'm currently in the Stage 2 diet meaning I can eat cottage cheese, yogurt, soups, etc in 1-2 oz sittings. I have found that since I can now eat some solid food I want to resume eating more. The 1-2 oz fills me up but I find I'm having to exercise a great deal of restraint with not wanting to "nibble" on other proteins. For now the carbs aren't a huge issue for me as I've done Atkins before with significant success.

I like to make cold spinach dip with Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream/mayo and serve with raw veggies instead of bread or crackers.

I had my surgery on 12/21, I came home 12/23. To say I am stubborn would be an understatement, therefore I never pushed the pump but once. I was up walking as soon as they would let me out of bed, pushing myself as far as I could go. Setting my alarm to make sure I was working my liquids etc. My shoulder pain ended up moving to my chest and making it very difficult to breath about 3AM. The nurse turned off my alarm and handed me pain pills and said trust us we know what we are doing. She was the best thing that could have happened to me. Heat made a huge difference with the gas pains and even though the doctor kept me an extra night it was worth it. I went home feeling great, I only have had to use the pain meds at night. Now let's talk the liquid diet, I can get a Protein shake and a protein hot chocolate down. I cannot stand chicken broth in any form, never had that problem. I can eat Jello but everything is just so sweet. I finally tried tomato Soup and liked it. Tomorrow I'm going to try yogurt and sugar free pudding. I am really looking forward to soft foods starting next Monday after my check. I gained 7 pounds in the hospital that was fluids and that has been off after about 3 days. I am so thankful for my Dr and nurses who helped me understand that I could be driven and not be in pain.

This might be my favorite post of all time. I east too fast too. It is my worst action around food. I don't eat and drive, I live alone and that makes things easier. But I do like to have my dinner with my television. I eat raw almonds because they are slow. But I do need to slow down. And focus on chew chew chew. I'm really good with my yogurt and fruit that I have every morning. But after that, I turn into Mario Andretti. The good part for me is that I remain very conscious of what I eat. I don't "blackout eat" anymore. I don't want to be one of those people who gains it all back. Thanks for being here. And Beni, thanks for starting this group.

I use GNC Wheybolic Extreme 60. Mixed with either Fairlife milk or Soymilk. Holiday flavors are a welcome change. Candy Cane and pumpkin spice. Normal flavors are peanut butter, chocolate, banana creme, vanilla, strawberry and unflavored, which I add to greek yogurt.

I am a 21st as well. I have a fairly decent routine of a spoonful of Greek low fat strawberry yogurt along with organic acia juice 1oz with 5oz of water mixed with it. I did try some runny cream of wheat but it expanded in my pouch and really hurt. I do have a protein fruity drink with 15 grams of protein in it that takes me most of the day to get down. Tastes great, I have cream soup for lunch and dinner runny mashed potatoes. The mashed potatoes saved me at Christmas dinner. I drink about 24-30 oz of infused water throughout the day, so at this point things are good for me. I go in Wednesday for my post op appointment. I have been watching the scale but I need to stop that. I did not have a lot of pain, but I also have a high pain tolerance and I do not like to take any type of pain medication because I hate taking medications. I used my pump in the hospital 3 times while I was there, and that was mainly just to get rest because hospital bed is so uncomfortable. I work out in my elliptical for 30 minutes and do some squats and very low weight for arms. So far I have nothing but positive remarks for my surgery, best decision I ever made.

Hi all, just back from a week long cruise. Left for the trip at day 26 post op and was pretty nervous about eating, flying, etc. Came back and gained .5 lbs but had a great time. I didn't expect to lose any weight on this trip and was pretty happy that I didn't have a big weight gain. I searched and searched for some advice about taking a cruise so soon after surgery and didn't find much so thought I'd share my experience for others about my trip on Carnival Cruse Lines. This is definitely not advice and don't recommend anyone does this but what I found: Buffet: Limited Breakfast selections that worked for me. Scrambled eggs, some luncheon meats, scoop of tuna from the deli, maybe a sausage link (only had them one day), milk. The yogurt they had was only 3 grams of Protein and loaded with sugar so avoided that. I did order a Guy's Hamburger and had a couple of bites of the burger with a fork and not too bad. There was some other stuff that looked edible for dinner but never ended up eating dinner at the buffet. Dining Room: There was usually a Soup every night but found most of the chilled Soups seemed to me to be very high in sugar so I avoided them unless there was no other option. Entries were limited to eat because of being carb/pata heavy or tougher meats. They always had flat Iron steak which was tender and I was able to eat so got that a few nights and most other nights got chicken or something like that. Got a tofu steak one night and it was bogus . Had to cover it with hot sauce to make it edible. Sorry tofu lovers... Only one night did they have a no sugar added desert that was something I was able to eat and it was a key lime mousse. Most the other nights, the no sugar added desert was cake or bread based. I usually couldn't fit desert anyway so didn't deal with it too much. Islands, Beaches: Most serve typical beach stuff. Burgers, fried foods, etc but there was usually something that you could order if you wanted. I'd usually get something simple like a club sandwich and just eat the meats. Had a fry here and there also. Alcohol: Talked my doc prior to cruising and although he did recommend being very careful with alcohol, he said it wouldn't damage my sleeve or anything like that. This is definitely not medical advice and just sharing my experience. So a couple of the days, on the beach and here and there, I had a pina colada's or daiquiri's and maybe a beer here and there. The first couple of beers I had, I would put my finger in the top and shake them a few times to let out the carbonation and to be honest, flat beer, even when cold wasn't that great. On our last beach day, someone bought me a Heineken and I didn't shake it up but drank it right from the bottle, carbonation and all and it went down okay, no pain or anything but waited a little bit before eating or drinking everything else. The buzz if definitely different.. About mid week, I went wild and had two Frozen banana daiquiris (with a dark rum floater) in about a half hour time span and got a good buzz but the buzz was gone within an hour at most. I really enjoyed the cruise but found that having some soft-ish Protein Bars were definitely beneficial for those times that I didn't want eat breakfast at the buffet or beach food. I enjoyed the cruise tremendously and found there was always something to eat but you definitely had to plan a bit due to buffet hours/selection and choices in the dining room. Keep in mind, I was just starting soft foods so had some limitations. With all that said, I'd do it again in a second.. m

Wow, has it been awhile since I've posted here... glad to be back, but wish it was under better circumstances. To give backstory - I had lap band surgery on May 6th, 2013 - just days after my 21st birthday (I am now 23) - and it was one of the best decisions I could've made for myself. My highest weight was 357 lbs, and by September I had lost 90 lbs (with about 4.5 cc / 14). During that August, I dealt with extreme dehydration/nausea (I was throwing up everything) and had to be hospitalized several times to get the necessary IV fluids. Nothing was wrong with the band and it was actually Prevacid that helped me recover, but during that time is when I had my first unfill when doctors were trying to determine the cause. I was briefly back at 3.5 cc between September and November, but horribly got an unfill right before Thanksgiving. It stayed that way until March 2014 - I had gained about 35 lbs back. Thankfully, I got a fill in that month and got back on track, reaching 100 lbs loss in summer and by December 2014 I had lost a total of 150 lbs, weighing 207 lbs. It was then that I began my consultation for body reconstruction surgery - by February 2015 I was 201 lbs. On February 27th, I underwent a lower body lift (tummy tuck, butt and thigh lift) and an arm lift, a 5 hour procedure that took over a month to recover from with nurses helping me 24/7. With the 11 lbs of skin that was removed, I got to my lowest weight ever of 190 lbs and it was the happiest I had ever been. I got my fill back around April (around 3.5 to start), but did not feel anywhere near the same level of restriction as I did before. I went to 4.5 in June, with no success. In fact, I began to crave junk food more than ever and, between July and October, gained 32 lbs back. By early September I went back to my surgeon's office, devastated, and got a fill of 5.5 ccs (which was higher than what I lost all my weight with). No difference. We were concerned there might've been a port leak but it turned out false. I went up to 6.5 ccs with no change, then 7 ccs which made me too tight. I went back to 6.5 ccs and my weight has fluctuated between 220 lbs and as high as 228 lbs. I gave in to any craving I had without any ability to restrain myself (there would be nights where I'd have two pints of Ben & Jerry's - it made me feel like a monster who couldn't stop once I started). I'd instantly regret it after I finished it all and would often cry myself to sleep, only go to the supermarket the next day to buy more and repeat it all over again. Desperate to find a resolution, I went again to my surgeon in November and was prescribed Phentermine (37.5 mg). As soon as I took it the first day, I thought I had found a miracle. It gives me a boost of energy and even though it causes dry mouth and insomnia, it does wonders for my hunger throughout the day - problematically, the effect wears off by midnight and my cravings come back. In those late night moments I would have junk food again, and therefore no progress occurred. I was averaging between 220 lbs and 223 lbs at this point. The week of Thanksgiving, I got -the runs- (we're honest here, right?) where I was having to go #2 almost every hour. I knew any weight I would've lost wouldn't be the right way, but I didn't even lose a pound. I'd had to go off the Phentermine because of this and once I felt back to normal, I gained 6 lbs back in the course of two days, making me 228. I got back on soon after and lost about 5 lbs (assuming the 228 had bloating), but only had a few days worth left. Last Monday, at 222 lbs, I saw my surgeon's office again and was given a refill of the Phentermine as well as a fill, going at first to 6.8 cc again but, once trying to drink Water, realized it felt too tight and we decided on my current amount which is 6.75 ccs. I was on liquids for 2 days, then mushy for 2 days, and then solids by Friday. I even got the motivation go on the treadmill 4 times this past week, which I am proud of. I have noticeably increased my water intake and am trying to get Protein in with yogurts and Protein shakes while I do my best to develop a macro plan. Surely the no-solids diet for almost a week and all the treadmilling (burning between 250 and 300 calories each time) and more water should've helped my weight loss, right? It hasn't, really. I fluctuate between 221, 220.8, and 219.5. Nothing higher and nothing less. I am at my highest fill amount ever at 6.75 as well as the Phentermine and do feel the effects of it. I'm just not losing any weight by anything I'm doing. This year started off SO WELL with my body reconstruction surgery... now, I am heavier than I was this time last year. My chronic depression and anxiety are at an all time high (even on Lexapro which I am beginning to think my body has become immune to). I look in the mirror at my body (especially my stomach which is still tight but significantly bigger than when I had the loose skin), seeing how much heavier I look in each area (it doesn't help that my back and chest have loose skin left), barely take any photos of myself anymore and often feel extremely hopeless, crying myself to sleep and having more panic attacks in last few weeks than I have in over a year. I see all these stories where people on Phentermine are having the same effects I have but are losing as much as 10 lbs the first few days and wonder what is wrong with me. Any advice or reply would be extremely appreciated... I worked so hard for this and it is the worst feeling to have that being taken away from me, not knowing why this is happening thank you very much for reading. - Mark

The reason you feel so hungry after eating is not getting in your Protein. Protein is needed because it is essential to make sure your body has enough to maintain muscles and basic function (hair, nails, skin, muscles... all need lots of protein to function well). Protein makes you feel full and satisfied longer as well. SO skipping your protein because you don't like the drinks is really bad - you risk losing muscle mass, your hair will start falling out faster, your skin and nails will look like crap and you will feel bad because losing muscle mass just makes you weaker. and you'll start feeling vunerable to eating crap again - it is a bad cycle to get caught in.. so stop doing that! Find protein drinks that you can tolerate. Go buy a few different types at the grocery store, and check out the recommendations on these boards for others available online. You will find one that tastes okay eventually. Most grocery stores carry a type of low lactose/sugar high protein milk. I am lucky to live where they have one that tastes wonderful - Mootopia (in TX HEB stores) - but there are others like Fairlife I think that are going to be great for a high protein low sugar drink. If you added some Protein powder to that, it probably could be just as good as a regular Protein Drink. Start reading labels and find things at the store that could work out for you at each stage of your diet. Kroger makes a decent yogurt called Carbmaster that has only 60 calories and 4 grams of carbs, but 9 grams protein and they taste pretty good. I know when I was finally cleared to eat things like eggs I still couldn't because I threw it up (and continued to throw them up until almost 4 months out). You don't want to rush things food-wise not only because you are trying to relearn how and what to eat, but because your stomach might not be ready for them either... you might not have had that happen yet, but believe me, I'd rather have waited and never experienced the egg intolerance! In the mean time, work on eating what you're supposed to be eating. Cheating is bound to happen and what you did isn't going to hurt your staples or stretch your stomach, but you have to realize that the only person you're cheating on is yourself. We all end up doing dumb things every once in a while, but don't dwell on them - just resign yourself to getting back on track and recommit to sticking to the program. Get psyched up - you are going to be happy and healthy and rock this sleeve!!!

i am surprise you didn't throw up if your going to cheat you better go walk every day until you lose at least 40 lbs once you lose the 40 now your ready to run burn more than you eat. I had the sleeve done in April 2015 today i am 80 lbs less i went from a size 18 to 10 or 12 depending the cut of the jeans i don't have the perfect diet but its not a diet its a change of eating i exercise every day i burn at least 400 to 500 calories a day i don't even eat that much i drink alot of water don't like water put crystal light in it helps i eat alot of yogurt most protein i find a health shop that makes protein drinks, still not good with solids my last meal is at 4pm i dont eat after 7pm why i am just laying around watching tv or going to sleep just to get up for work plus if i have too full of stomach i need to purge so too overeat is not worth the crappy feeling. lighten up relax .

My pre-op diet has been all liquids. Protein shakes, sugar free/fat free pudding, sugar free Popsicles, Kroger Carbmaster yogurt, and clear broths. Water, water, and more water. No foods whatsoever.

I had my surgery on the 21st of December and at the hospital I did amazingly. I was positive and the pain wasn't anything. I got up and walked around a ton was cleaning my room and making my bed. Refusing the pains medication because I didn't feel I needed it. I'm home now and I'm down and out. I'm not very positive. I feel like my surgery didn't work. I'm starving and I feel as if I can keep eating and eating. I've had no nausea or vomiting and no dumping. I had a yogurt on my 6th day home and really light veggie puffs that dissolve in your mouth. Anyway, I'm not feeling full with liquids, Proteins or purées! I just want to eat all the time. What is happening to me? Also the night sweats are brutal. I'm an emotional wreck as well. Someone shed some like on what to expect in the come weeks or days? Please thank you! Ashley

At 5 weeks you are likely able to move on to "soft foods" pretty easily. My dr described this as anything I could mash with my tongue. chicken salad, Tuna Salad, Refried Beans, pimento cheese, yogurt (with a 1/2 scoop of Protein powder added), sugar free pudding snack (with 1/2 scoop of Protein Powder added), fish (tilapia for example), hummus, ricotta bake. If you had sleeve, you may be able to tolerate a little more solid food but completely depends on your situation and your doctor and NUT suggestions. Check out http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.com which has a lot of great recipes and tips. There is also a section on this board about food that may have some suggestions. Hang in there! You will get there!

I did scrambled eggs and yogurt mainly. I also would eat refried beans although I had trouble the first time I ate them.

Sure. Greek yogurt, tuna, turkey, cottage cheese, chili, eggs, etc. Didn't your NUT provide you with a list of protein-rich foods?

I'm curious, how long does it take you to consume that much? Are you sipping it over a certain period of time? I can do 8 ounces of milk and protein mix over 20-30 minutes, but I can only do 3-4 ounces of cream soup or yogurt in that time.

I too was sleeved on 12/14 and I am on the purée stage. I drink 2 protein shakes a day plus some purée foods like soup, yogurt, oatmeal, etc. I too feel hungry about every 2 hours. I asked my doctor about this and she said that was normal and when I feel hungry to eat or drink something. I also worry that I am taking in too much so I'm going to start to measure my purée in a 4 oz cup so i don't eat more than I'm supposed to. Try staying full on water and protein shakes so that your stomach doesn't feel empty.

When i have time I love omelets. I also keep pre cooked turkey sausage on hand and pop them in the microwave when I am in a hurry. The occasional protein shake. Fairlife milk Yogurt Peanut butter