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What do you put your Genepro in? I have some and tried it with watered down juice (I can't handle artificial sweeteners) and it made it change a weird color and get really THICK. And it was a large glass. Yuck. I use it in coffee every morning...I dissolve it in some half and half in the bottom of the cup, with a fork, then add the coffee. If you don't use cream, some lukewarm Water works too. I also put it in refried Beans, yogurt, soup...anything loose or moist works well. And I tried something new the other day that worked fine: I think you probably know about my incessant struggle with meat, so cheese is a huge source of protein for me. I like the La Tortilla Factory high pro/high fiber/low carb tortillas, so I took one of the small ones they made and made a quesadilla like I usually do, but I tossed the shredded cheese in some Protein Powder before I put it in the tortilla. I used the rest of the scoop in the sour cream + salsa mixture I make to dip it in. That little bit of extra effort got me 20+ grams protein in my quesadilla The secret to Genepro, in my experience, is to mix it into something cold or cool then add it to warm liquids. I add it directly to warm thicker foods like refried beans with no problems. I don't use it in cold liquids at all, since all I drink is water. I'd think you could mix it into lemonade, though, in a shaker bottle then let it sit for a few minutes for the foam to settle.

What is your doctor's post op diet progression? I was not allowed solids until week 5. Cherrios are really empty calories, no Protein (milk does have some). I have Greek yogurt with fruit for breakfast with the following add ins: unflavored benefiber, 1/2 scoop vanilla whey isolate, 1/3 cup Kashi Go lean (high protein), and some walnuts. Not sure on calories but maybe between 300-350, but close to 30 g or protein. My doctor says 3 oz of protein so I would have 2 oz of tuna with the 1 oz of laughing cow. Looks like you have having most of your protein in one meal. Try spreading it out over your day.

Great post! My advise is to start working on being healthier now. After surgery it's highly recommended that we stay away from carbonated drinks like soda or beer, fizzy Water, etc. So if you're a soda drinker, start to ween yourself off. I made the mistake of going out and buying a bunch of 100 calorie Snacks and whatnot once I started seeing my nutritionist in March of 2015 and didn't lose any weight that month. So then I stopped drinking soda and lost like 5 pounds in 2 weeks - crazy! I started going on walks. I was 355 pounds and only 5'5" tall and could barely walk a block at first, but by this time last year I was walking 2 miles at a time a few times a week and by July I was walking 3 miles at a time. I was reading health magazines and came across a great article about how to cut back on calories and lose weight. I did this by eating a yogurt cup and a small side salad about 15-30 mins before eating lunch and/or dinner. It curbs your hunger so you eat less during the meal. So I ended up eating a lot less carbs, because I started following the rule of eating my Protein first, then a veggie, and last a carb. It gave me a ton of energy! I actually lost 41 pounds by making those healthier choices before the surgery. That was extremely important to me, because our body loses weight MUCH faster in the first 12 months and after that it slows down quite a bit. For me it's slowed down from losing 10+ lbs a month to losing maybe 4 if I'm lucky. But if we follow the guidelines and use our sleeve (such a amazing tool), then we'll continue to lose the weight! I hope this was helpful! Sent from my A846L using the BariatricPal App

My surgery is scheduled for next Thursday (SUPER EXCITED), I'm 5 days in my pre-op diet & am I'm still starving [emoji26]. I'm just now starting to experience the hunger headaches. In addition to my 2 protein shakes, I'm eating 1/4 cup cooked vegetables as my snack & just ate a 6 oz of non-fat yogurt but nothing seems to be working until I eat my daily meal, which is usually dinner. Any suggestions on what else to eat to stop the food cravings [emoji120] [emoji120] [emoji120] .

Hi guys, I'm over the 2 month mark since VSG. I write this trying to see if others have had similar challenges and can offer any tips. 6+ weeks of throat pain and feeling like something is stuck in my throat. Non stop and impacting quality of life. CT scan, upper GI are normal. Endoscopy shows esphogus is inflammed consistent with acid due to reflux and GERD. I reflux on everything - Protein shakes, yogurt.... have tried nexium double dose, Prevacid, take rolaids, tums, gavascon.... no relief. On rx called Reglan and now pain meds. Weight loss is slow but about 1-2 lbs. A week because I'm not working out as I'm in discomfort. I pray no one else is going thru this. Surgeon did warn me that reflux and GERD can result after vsg. Surgeon has been extremely supportive and helpful. Any suggestions or thoughts? I'd do anything to not be in this situation. Help.

Hi Ashley, Not on a liquid diet but did the same thing had surgery June 15th. I had to cook for my husband and kids before and after the surgery. It wasn't as bad as I expected. Of course I didn't make any of my favorites. I pretty much did meatloaf, chicken, fish, pasta's with salad and a carb. Most were my normal weak night meals. I had one night stay in the hospital and no gas pains so I was very fortunate. Don't forget it's ok to make sandwiches some nights. My kids kept eating my Jello and yogurts. :-) You will do fine. I just want to wish you a speedy recovery. Kina

Cottage, yogurt and cheese are fermented milk I believe. Reg. milk bothers some, not others.

I usually am pretty hungry, but too tight to eat anything- usually by 11-1130 I can eat. Do you feel like nauseous? That's probably cause you're really hungry, try drinking something-along with your coffee if you drink it. Or try a protein shake/ greek yogurt- it's "liquid" but will help with the hunger.

I would say to skip the latte and eat either cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, egg and cheese or some more Protein packed thing for Breakfast. Try skipping the whole wheat wrap and maybe cut the cream cheese in half or use Greek yogurt with maybe something mixed in it. I also found some crackers that are high in protein that I eat for some crunchiness. There are also high protein, low carb breads out there, but I only use half a slice or so. I mix my Protein shakes with 6 oz. of 2% instead of 8 oz. I can drink 6 oz. easily on the way to work. Then again, it could be a stall. Someone explained stalls to me. Something about glycogen and Water storage. They eventually break. Also, sometimes more calories are better than less. but make them good calories. The salmon is great. Have you tried shrimp, scallops or ahi tuna? All are excellent protein sources. Also try cardio and weight training.

Hello fellow sleevers or potential sleevers, I am new here, and this is my story ....sort of.... The decission to have Weight Loss Surgery was not a easy one, but it was a logical decission. I am a 33 yo Male, 5ft11in 302 pounds. I have been battling with weight loss for many years, I have tried all diets and spent thousands and thousands of dollars on them, Nutrisystem x3 times, Weight Watchers, Slim Fast, Herbal Life, Nutripia Fresh food Delivery, GNC Total Lean. I have lost weight on all those diets, but nothing significant. I suffer from bulging disks in my back and have had 2 arthoscopic right knee surgeries which prevent me from excercising. My family has a history of Obesity, Cardiac, Hight Blood Pressure, Diabetes, High Cholestorol. I see myself gaining weight, and slowing down, I am tired, and my whole body is in pain, all the time. I wasnt able to do things I wanted to do, because my body just wouldnt do it, The attempt at just normal walks, i would be in pain. So I was discussing the options with my boyfriend, he mentioned to me that a radio DJ from local radio station Z100 had weight loss surgery, and I looked him up, at this point, I never heard of the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy, I only knew of the Lap Band, and the Bypass, which both, I was not happy about, I heard about huge failures from the Lap Band, and I didnt like the idea of re routing my intestines, let alone did I ever think i was a candidate for weight loss surgery either. So I decided to google the radio DJ, and looked up where he had the surgery, I landed on the website of New York Bariatric Group, after browsing their website, and learning about different types of surgeries, I filled out the quick contact form to make an appointment for a consulation, they promptly called me back the next day and I made an appointment for March 14, 2012. March 14, 2012, I had an appointment with Dr. Spencer Holover, From NY Bariatric Group, for initial consultation, he explained every surgery in detail and told me, I didnt have to make a decission on the actual procedure I wanted, until my last appointment, when it is time to make the surgery date. Which i was relieved about, because I had my own research to do (which I highly recommend). I left the office, feeling very informed, and not pressured into making a rapid huge decission, The office staff was extremely welcoming, and pleasant to deal with, they handed me a folder with information in it, and told me, all I had to do, was fill out the information in the folder, and they would handle everything on my behalf, and they did. During the 6 months required by my insurance, I did my own research, which consisted of a lot of self made videos from people who actually had the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy, Bypass, and Lap Band, and I started leaning towards the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy, it seemd the most successful, with minimal complications, and I liked the fact of still keeping my anatomy, just less of it. Up until the 5 month, I stll have never made the decission, I tossed the idea around with the psychologist, until I sat down and said, it was the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy I was going to have. My Surgeon required the following: Cardiac Clearance Pulmonary Clearance Mental Health Dietary Evaluation Endoscop Endocrine Consult PCP Surgical Clearance Stress Test Gastric Emptying Study My insurance (GHI) required the following: 6 Month Weight Loss Program In the time during the 6 Month Weight Loss Program, I made all the appointments for the Surgeon requirments. It is very important, that you DO NOT miss a weigh in with the surgeon, the insurance company will make you start all over again. My surgery date was 9/18/2012, at Mercy Medical Center in Rockville Center, NY. Since all doctors and nutritionists are different, and therefore so are there guidelines. These are the guidelines that I followed according to my doctors' advice. Two Weeks Before Surgery - liquid Diet with 3-4 Protein shakes a day. The reason for the pre-op diet is simple - obese people tend to have a condition called fatty infiltration of the liver. The liver sits right in the way of your surgeon and they have to be able to lift it and get it out of the way while they work. Caffeine, carbonated drinks of any kind and alcohol are now off the menu at this point. Carbonated drinks are gone forever. 24 hours before surgery - Clear liquid diet. Water, chicken broth, sugar-free Jello, sugar free popsicles. Nothing after midnight on the day before surgery. Surgery - In the hospital on tue morning and surgery around 8am. Next day - They came with Ice Water and looked like mini shot glasses, then they came with a tray of chicken broth, tea, diet cranberry juice, they said if I can tolerate this, then they would come with a tray of pureed food.( I drank the cranberry juice and chicken broth)They came with the following:Pureed Food - they came with a tray of tuna fish, creamy tomato Soup, diet cranbery juice, tea, low fat milk, Pro-Stat Proetin drink/mixI ate some tuna, drank some cranberry juice and mixed the protein mix in with it. I ate enough, and it stood down. ( took the rest home with me) Basic Post-Op Rules ( For my surgeon ) Eat slowly. Each meal should take 15-30 minutes. Drink fluids between meals, either 30 minutes before or 30-45 minutes after. 4-6 week Post-Op - Stage 2 - Soft, Mushy and or pureed ( First month adter surgery solid food are all prohibited ) Examples: Pureed meats, fish, chicken Baby food containing protein Low fat yogurt, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, humus Sugar free puddings or jellos Hot Cereal (oatmeal, cream of wheat, farina, grits Ground meats such as turkey, chicken, veal or pork Turkey burgers or chicken balls White Flaky fish (Tilapia, cod, flounder) Eggs/Whites (Scrambled, poached, omelets) fruits and vegetables are limited Preparation: Foods can be baked, broiled, grilled, steamed, or poached. Do Not Use Bread Crumbs Use chicken, vegetable, or beef broth to make moist. Do Not Reheat in microwave, it can change the consistency of the the food. Portion Size: Palm of hand (3-4 ounces) Remember: You are concentrating on protein. The food does not have to be "meal specific". Try omlets for dinner or leftover fish for Breakfast. I had minimal pain during the hospital stay although I was on a morphine PAC pump, I used it before they walked me every 2 hrs, because it was uncomfortable to get in and out of bed, yes they walked me, every two hours on the DOT around the clock, they are very strict with their procedures, but it minimalized infections, blood clots, and any aother issues that can arrise. I have to say, I am very happy with the whole process, I am happy with my sleeve, and I am down from 302lb to 273ib. (obvioulsy I lost a decent ammount with the 2 week liquid diet) but I am still making some progress.

Don't attack the cow! You will make it. I would try to have some Snacks that might fill you up for awhile, versus drinking a Protein shake. The cottage or yogurt suggested could be what you need to get between meals. I found the thicker the food the longer it stayed with me. Are you waiting to drink after your "meal"? Make sure you wait for the time your dr suggested so you are not pushing the food through. I would also suggest checking out the food & nutrition forum for some good recipes, maybe some variety would help you out! Are you exercising? That was the hard one to get started for me, but man did it help! I really didn't start with regular exercise for about the first 6-8 weeks, but when I got going on a regular basis the scale started moving down. Not sure I helped, I know how frustrating that phase is, but you can get through it, the scale will start moving down again and you won't always be this hungry!

I'm 5 days post op and having puréed food. Not all the time tho, I also have broth, yogurt and cottage cheese. So far tolerating everything and down 11 pounds. I am much more comfortable sitting than laying. Each day is getting a little better.

You might as well get ready to go have some (if not all) removed! If you didn't have acid reflux before the fill, then the problem is the fill. Since you only have 15 pounds to lose, making the band tighter won't work. Well - if all you can eat is liquids, you might lose, but it seems you can't even keep that down. Go back and maybe they can just remove .25 cc and you'll be fine. But - bring something to eat with you......like yogurt and stay in the waiting room until you are sure you can eat it without any problems. If you can and it doesn't take you an hour to eat it, you should be ok. Most likely you've lost enought weight that tightening the band won't really work or you just need a tiny, tiny bump - like .25 cc.

My doctor's orders were... Days 1-3 clear fluids Day 4-17 full liquids. (Protein shakes, broth and cream Soups with Protein powder added) Day 18-28 puréed (refried Beans, eggs, puréed soups with unflavored protein powder, puréed tuna, cottage cheese, plain Greek yogurt flavored with protein powder or puréed fruit, soft cheeses, guacamole, hummus) Day 29-40 soft foods (all of the above plus really moist chicken, soft fishes, all cheeses, soft cooked veggies like squash, cauliflower and carrots, seafood, all soups, canned corned beef, deviled ham, burger, chili) Day 41+ regular food except nuts, chips, seeds, etc which Were off limits till 3 months out. My restriction was so good I actually had to transition slower than what my doc suggested. And I never got sick of liquids because I had such a huge variety.... Dozens of flavors of Protein Shakes as well as every variety of broth, cream Soup and bisque I could find. I still drink most of these things even 8 months out or I couldnt meet protein goals

I am 11 days post op & feel great! I was on clear liquids for 7 days & now have moved onto yogurt & protien shakes. I am not hungry for food yet but am really struggling with not eating the things that sound SOOOO good to me. I admit I have cheated twice...mainly so my friends would not know I had surgery or could not eat. I ate soup both times & didn't really feel good about it after. Has anyone else cheated when they were restricted? If so, how did it effect your weight loss or did it hurt your band? Thanks everyone!!!

Last night I made these up. I had one for a snack earlier today, and it was delicious. This is a great way to get some Protein in, especially if you have a hard time tolerating shakes. I'm going to experiment a little with the recipe and change up the flavor of Protein powder and yogurt to see what other flavor combinations work well together. Dannon Light and Fit yogurt would knock about 8 calories off per pop, too. I was just out of that brand when I made these. Double Chocolate/Black Cherry Protein Pops In a blender, combine the following -2 scoops of chocolate protein powder (I used what I had on hand, the Walgreens brand) -1 6oz container of Greek yogurt with fruit (I used Great Value's Greek yogurt with black cherry) -8 oz of unsweetened vanilla almond milk After blending, pour into popsicle molds. Freeze and enjoy. This recipe filled five molds for me. Here is the nutritional information for each pop: Calories 94 Carbs 8 Fat 1 Protein 13.4 Sodium 83 Sugar 5

So I had my sleeve done on the 18th.. Just now getting out the hospital and getting home to settle in. Been drinking 3-4 liters of water a day plus some little sorbets and yogurts here and there! Is there one who can tell me about the swelling and how long it usually lasts? How soon do you see changes in the tummy?

I'm 3 weeks post op, I'm on the soft/puree phase and looking for some breakfast ideas. I do eggs, egg beaters, yogurt or roast beef hash. I don't like cottage cheese and can't do too much dairy. And no protien shakes or adding protien powder to my foods because they just don't sit well in my stomach. So if you have any other ideas please share away!! Thanks in advance!

Good Morning everyone! I have a question for you all. I get stomach aches after I eat, almost every time. Is this normal? I did have a bout of pneumonia about a week after surgery and I was loaded with antibiotics. I thought I might need to eat some yogurt to get the normal bacterial flora back into my gut. Thanks for the help! Laura

@@redgoddess I love the unflavored UNJURY. I add to coffee, salsa to put on scrambled eggs, yogurt to bump up the protein...excellent stuff!

I am a revision patient. I was sleeved 2 weeks ago. I don't feel hungry, have been measuring my food and have lost a lot in the past 2 weeks. Maybe 16lbs? Anyway I am so worried because I hear of people only being able to get down 1-2 ozs at this point. I can eat 3-4 oz of purees no problem. I haven't felt pain or anything with eating - only a once or twice a twinge or something. Once or twice a bit of nausea from eating. I am on purees and I have eaten baked ricotta, yogurt, egg salad, refried Beans and even soft mashed fish. Is it because I am on purees that I don't feel much more than a lack of desire to eat?

Every doctor has a different diet post-surgery. The key is to make sure you know what it is! I had to go through so much education that there wasn't a doubt in my mind what I was going to be eating from day one right on through the first month. But not all doctors are that informative, from what I've seen on this site (hard to believe you'd do gastric surgery on someone then not tell them what to eat). I'll tell you mine just to give you an example and then you need to find out from your doctor what he wants and follow what he tells you. I was on clear liquids from day 1 (day of surgery) to day 4 On day 4 I started 'soft proteins' which included chicken, turkey, fish,eggs,cottage cheese, refried beans, low fat cheese, low fat/low sugar yogurt. I stayed on soft proteins until my first fill. After the fill I had to do clear liquids for 3 days. Then, I could eat normally! (well, normally for a banded person!) (again, your doctor will tell you what that is)

Ok here goes.. I had been in denial about how much I was vomiting(my roommate reminded me)I was throwing up meds and Water at times In the last two weeks I fainted twice. I landed in ER and was diagnosed with vasovagal syncope and my pcp said I was extremely dehydrated. After some introspectal thinking, I have come to the realization that I am totally turned off by food unless it is sweet and junky. I usually do Greek yogurts with babybel and granola for lunch and dinner and a Protein shake for Breakfast I am getting really tired of what I eat.. Any suggestions for a low maintenance preferably no cooking meal plan? I do see a therapist and IM working with her. I just find yogurts so vile right now and will put anything else in my mouth Went to surgeon today for unfill. Injured my knee and foot unable to exercise :-( Thanks for letting me put this out there... -Mary

In addition to what has already been mentioned, I ate egg salad, canned corned beef hash, applesauce, cottage cheese with applesauce, apple butter, or crushed pineapple in it, pureed canned pears (in fruit juice or water), mashed avocado. My favorite dinner during that phase was when I made 4-cheese manicotti for my family. I can't have Pasta for 6 months, so I took a little of the fresh, homemade tomato sauce and put it in a ramekin, topped it with my 4-cheese mixture (ricotta, mozzarella, parmesano-reggiano, asiago, and fresh italian parsley), then a little more sauce and mozzarella/asiago on top and baked it in the oven. YUMMY. When I made tacos for the family, I had homemade refried Beans with salsa, cheese, and a little dollop of greek yogurt and avocado on top. I made potato leek soup and rounded out the meal for the family with grilled cheese sandwiches. Black bean soup with cilantro, cheese, greek yogurt on top, and make quesadillas for the family to go with it. You have to be a little creative during this phase, but it can be done! Hope that helps!

Hi All, I am Tammy! I was sleeved on 9/27 at the University of Minnesota with Dr. Ikramuddin! For 3 days I thought I made the biggest mistake ever. I had so much pain etc... I didn't notice a big difference until about 7 days out. It didn't help that I had a cough, that may have made things worse. OUCH! Today I am so thrilled so far with my sleeve. I have lost 31 pounds today, 9 pre op. I couldn't be happier and already feel so much better and have more energy. The weight is starting to slow down which is depressing, I want it to all fall off today... I am just so excited for the future and for every morning to feel a little lighter. So anyone out there with surgery coming up or just thinking about it, GO FOR IT! I have been starting on my normal diet and trying to get Protein in. Thank goodness I love meat and cheese and yogurt. We have been getting really clever with meals! I took 5 weeks off from work and have this whole week left. Last week I finally felt back to normal and started walking etc. I have had quite a bit of heartburn though, so taking Prilosec and have Pepcid and Tums on hand. It seems to take the heartburn away really quickly so that is good! Anyways, I just wanted to share my story so far and introduce myself to this site!!!