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Ok people I went on my 2 week appt today. All is well...I lost 12 lbs. I asked questions about my mushies. They told me that I am on pureed foods for the next 4 weeks. My first fill is on 9/7. Since for the next four weeks I will be on purees(honestly...will be doing a few soft meals in between). I want to make sure I am full and that I am getting my Protein and enjoy eating it. If anyone has any ideas or recepies, they will be so appreciated. Mind you...I dont do yogurt, oatmeal, grits, porridge, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese. I know that is alot...But I just wanted to let u all know...But your help is so appreciated!!!!:thumbup:

I am almost one year post op. I just got back from a Caribbean cruise where food was everywhere. I ate anything I wanted. It's a little bit difficult to eat much meat if you eat bread when the bread basket comes, when eating out. You have to pick and choose what to eat because your portion is going to be small. I don't have a problem with the changes in my eating habits. I take my kids to pizza once a week. I can eat one piece of pizza. I am very satisfied with that and I don't feel badly watching them polish off the rest of the pizza because I am full. I think it's more common than a small percentage of us that become lactose intollerant after the surgery. I can eat yogurt and cheese just fine, but drinking more than a few sips of milk gives me gas and diarrhea. If I haven't answered all your questions, just let me know. The changes in my life are so worth it. I love wearing cute clothes again and being able to do things that there is no way I could have done, without losing 100 lbs.

I initially started to eat the triple zero yogurt but really didn't like it afterwards so now I just eat the Chobani and it works very well yes it has some sugar but it also has protein and one fills me up and it's actually a meal. [emoji175]sonkat5355[emoji175]

I'm in the same boat and so glad I found this thread! Had my surgery 12/2013 at 229 and went down to 130. 4.5 years post-op and I'd kept my weight down until last year. For some reason, last year my sugar levels got out of whack (now I know it was because of carbs!) so all the starch I was eating made me hungry every hour. Over the last year I gained back 20 lbs and I'm so discouraged. I finally admitted defeat and visited my surgeon 2 weeks ago. He gave me the original post-op food plan and now I'm hoping to get back on track. I use the myfitnesspal app to track my foods and I'm staying away from starch big time. I've lost 2 lbs since then but it's going so much slower than the first time around. It's so frustrating to get on the scale and not see progress!!! I can't figure out how to eliminate sugar completely since everything I eat has some in it (yogurt, even fruit!). He told me to eat high-fiber foods but Fiber One cereal is a starch and spinach leaves isn't helping any so now I'm totally confused. I'll keep checking this thread because I can use the encouragement as well.

Par for the course, I was not seen by my WLS for yesterday's post-surgical follow up and once again had to go through the whole history again with yet another PA I'd never met. Once we established that I hadn't just had a band placed, the PA went and got a print out of my surgical notes(not in the file!?). What I was told - my band hadn't slipped, but I had a significant hiatel hernia as well as adhesions(scarring). Per my request to save the band, the surgeon repaired the hiatel hernia. What the PA indicated was missed/wrong in the discharge instructions: - Pain med should've been in liquid form. - Only Rx meds - no Vitamins or supplements unless liquid form until swelling subsides(surgeon noted it okay to resume all meds on day after surgery) - A script for Prilosec in liquid form - Instruction to consume only liquids and pureed food until further notice. No greek yogurt - "too thick". - No lifting anything over the weight of a gallon of milk. - Walking is the only exercise allowed for now. According to the PA, the repair was quite intense, so the symptoms I've been having are not surprising. Still have abdominal swelling which may take several more weeks to heal. The lump at the base of my throat is from the two tubes inserted during surgery. The cough,reflux and restriction are also a result of surgical irritation, but if I'd been given the Rx for Prilosec, should be significantly less. It may take up to six weeks to see if this corrects the problem. In the meantime, I've been told I'm not eating enough, so I need to push Protein shakes. First and only time I've heard that I should work in some ice cream! So now we again start with the every 7 - 10 day follow up $400 appointments regardless of the fact I'm not getting a fill. That hour and a half roundtrip drive along with juggling a work schedule that doesn't have much flexibility - super! I'm kicking myself for having the band left in. It's a tool. It works great for a lot of people - no "hate" here, but for me, the quality of life has dwindled. This is the second hiatel hernia repair. The three years the band has been in have resulted in significant internal scarring, an inability to eat normally, declining social life, endless testing, medicines, embarassing situations, costly co-pays...

I officially started mushies on Feb 17 - 10 days after surgery. My weightloss has stalled and I'm sure it's due to going off liquids only and adding in carbs. I expected it and I'm okay with it. Next week I'm allowed to go back to the gym to start cardio. I've been walking everyday and have worked up to 1 mile. To give an idea of what a mushy plan looks like here is my food so far: Bfast 1/2 a pre-made GNC protein shake Snack 1 graham cracker with about 1/4 tsp of peanut butter Lunch 1 piece of thinly sliced turkey, about 4 spoonfuls of chicken and veg soup (no vegs) and 2 spoons of mashed potatoes Snack (will be) 1/4 bottle of Isopure, 1/2 pudding blended w protein powder Dinner (will be) 3 oz of leftover soup, 2-3 tsp of potato Snack LF string cheese I'm trying to get in enough protein but I'm falling short so I'm going to start adding yogurt and/or cottage cheese for meals or snacks.

Hi Jetlagjane I soo thought they same thing. I am on day 10 of my preop and have lost 8 so far. I started thinking "wow i do have some self disclipine why do I need a band?".....then it all came flooding back that I have tried a million diets and I always fell off the wagon. I am only eating this lovely yogurt and cottage cheese and chicken breast bc there is no option. Its not even a thought for a second about cheating. You keep it in ur ehad that the whole thing could be called off and ur money down the toliet. But I kinda am at the gagging stage of this pre op diet. I am finding I would rather just not eat which is also not good. Perhaps a call to Jill tommorow, or will tough through it!

Yeah miranda, i know what you mean. I pretty much didnt eat after day 2. Because thinking of yogurt and cottage cheese made me gag. I used to eat plenty of yogurt, but it seems because i was forced to eat it in the diet, now after a month i still don't want to think of eating it. I think the worst was those joke comments, oh since you are following this diet so well, you could do it without the band. But in reality, the ONLY reason i was so dedicated to the preop diet was because you can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Usually i would give up because i wouldnt see any changes. But yeah, preop is the worst.

I had a fill on Thursday. I now have 3 cc in my 11cc band. I stayed on liquids Thursday and Friday and most of yesterday. I had some mashed potatoes last night and after just a couple little bites, my back started killing me. And now this morning I tried some yogurt, same thing. Just a couple bites and my back starts to really hurt, right between my shoulder blades and I start sliming a bit. Think I should call him and get some taken out? Or wait it out a couple more days and see if it gets better? This is only my 2nd successful fill since I got banded. I hat port problems and just got it fixed about a month ago, so I feel like I'm starting all over again!

Being able to eat 4 cups of food doesn't mean you don't have restriction. It all depends on what the food is and over what period. E.g most people could probably manage 4 cups of icecream or yogurt or Soup or similar if they tried. Especially if it is eaten slowly.these foods are all sliders , go down easily etc. Most people would struggle to eat 4 cups of a proper solid Protein e.g beef/chicken/fish along with some vegetables and a small portion of carbs. ideally you should eat a meal over 20 - 30 min. If you take longer than that you will be able to eat more as the food will have started to pass through the band. So before you blame the band you need to look at a couple of things:- What are you eating? How long is it taking you to eat? Are you cheating the band by drinking fluids to help the food go down easier? It has been said many times that the band is only a tool. It cannot do everything for you. You are the one that still decides ultimately what you are going to put in your mouth. But if you are doing the right thing and the band is not helping then you need to go back to your Dr and discuss your problems and hopefully sort them out. Maybe you need more fill.You didn't say what kind of band you have. if it is a Realize band then typically more fill is required to reach restriction than with a lap band. You may have a leak - has this been checked. Good luck - hope you sort this out and get back on the road to losing really soon.

Oh yeah, I saw that show. . . i ask myself everytime why do we do that to ourselves? I am 5 days out and guess what? I went shopping! Not far just to HEB for week 2 stuff doctor told me to get. . . loves my doctor, i get to eat string cheese next week and fat free yogurt! much better then popsicles Water, Jello, and tea. . . freeze to death. . . the pain isn't bad anymore, you have to really put your confidence into the doctors. . . this was my 18th surgery and yes I was all freaked and everything too but it's normal. . on the day of the surgery i just waltzed in and got it done. . . other then they couldn't start the IV and had to start a central line every thing went great! I was up and about the next day. . . yes, i felt like a freight train hit me, but i had to do what doctor told me and that was walk, walk, walk, . . . i couldn't tolerate liquids at all, but he said at that point it was ok, i had IV fluids going. . . then on day 3 i showered, washed hair, got all the tubes, staples, and IV's out and that afternoon went home. . . you'll be ok. . . it's not easy, its a major surgery and you feel really gross. . . I was saying that I wished there could be a trial test to see if you'd like the sleeve or not? Thats wishful thinking huh?????? But after a week, you'll feel good. . . your going to learn what tiny tummy is saying. . . it'll be ok! Good luck you'll be fine!

I know everybody is very excited about Gov. Chris Christie’s new effort to lose weight. Christie has reportedly lost 40 pounds so far, but it is important to remember that maintaining that weight loss will have a lot to do with adopting the proper diet and lifestyle. We talked to Rebecca Soloman, clinical nutrition coordinator at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, for the best diet tips to follow after lap-band surgery. Eat small portions In the weeks and months after surgery, it is essential for patients to focus on limiting their portion sizes. Lap-band surgery decreases the size of the stomach, making it very difficult, and even painful, to ingest large quantities of food. “Most patients are full after a quarter to a maximum of half a cup of food at one sitting,” Soloman said. Consuming more than that will cause discomfort and could lead to vomiting, Soloman noted. She recommends that patients eat slowly and chew food thoroughly to avoid discomfort. Focus on high Protein foods “We found, especially in bariatric weight-loss patients, that protein is the food group from which they derive their greatest sense of fullness or satiety,” Soloman said. In the first three to four weeks after surgery, Soloman recommends focusing on soft Proteins like Greek yogurt, pureed chicken, Soups or cottage cheese. This will also help patients avoid becoming protein deficient. After the first month, patients can begin experimenting with non-pureed foods, focusing on softer flaky fishes, the dark meat of chicken or lean ground beef. “We increase the texture but not necessarily the quantity,” Soloman noted. “We like to focus on the term ‘gentle satiety,’ you want to be mindful of not overeating.” Avoid drinking and eating at the same time One of the most important rules to follow after lap-band surgery: Avoid eating and drinking simultaneously. While staying hydrated is important, Soloman advises patients to stop drinking 10 minutes prior to eating, and then avoid drinking until 45 minutes after they’ve finished their meal. In the first few weeks after surgery, the stomach is so tiny that consuming a liquid and solid at the same time could cause vomiting. Furthermore, “just a few swigs of Water could push food out of the stomach, causing a premature sense of emptiness,” Soloman said. Limit Pasta, rice, bread While eating a little bit of Fiber is fine, most patients do not tolerate rice, pasta or bread very well. “They all expand when they absorb more fluids, like gastric juices,” Solman said. This can cause discomfort in patients, and they typically learn to avoid these types of foods, or eat them only in very limited qualities. Consume soft fruits and vegetables In the first weeks after surgery, all fruits and vegetables need to be pureed. “You could do a natural applesauce or make your own, pureed carrots, broccoli. You can use seasonings, herbs, spices to the extent that you tolerate them. Make it flavorable, so that it is enjoyable,” Soloman said. Later, patients can introduce whole fruits and vegetables, avoiding fruit skins (like apple skins) or stringier vegetables. Overall, it is important to remember that while lap-band surgery will help you lose weight, it will only work if you monitor your diet, too. “It’s a tool, not a solution in and of itself,” Soloman said. “It’s effectiveness is related to what you put in your mouth.” AMEN Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/07/what-to-eat-after-lap-band-surgery/#ixzz2UM8fuPce

I was mildly lactose intolerant before surgery and still am. I can have yogurt and cheese. I use milk in Cereal very sparingly, and I have to take a lactose pill if I eat frozen yogurt. I use powdered Coffeemate in coffee. It's very common to be lactose intolerant post-op. I was kinda hoping my intolerance would go away post-op, but it didn't.

Yes about a week post op I was sick as a dog. Realized it was from milk products. It has gotten better over the past few months. I can now have yogurt and cheese. Milk and ice cream still make me sick though. Lactaid tablets help.

Also wondering are these allergies or intolerances? Normally a change in the form of the food does not affect an allergy, if you are allergic to lactose it doesn't matter what form it is in you will react whereas if your problem is a food intolerance then you may be able to eat lactose in a modified form. cheese, yogurt instead of milk etc. Wondering because you said you have a problem with RAW fruit/veg

amp up the portein shakes with some oats.. ( not a whole lot) and fruits. my ultimate shake when i was on liquids.. consisted of blue berries, Protein powder, 2 teaspoons of oats, 3 oz of yogurt blended together in either crystal light, Vitamin Water zero, or low calorie gatorade. it doesnt taste liek a Protein Shake since it has the fruity flavour and i loved it.. because it snt just water.. it helps keep u fuller for longer. others things u can use are rasp berries straw berries, half a banana, carrots, black berries, low calories penut butter, really anything u like.. and blend..

My 2 week post op diet basically consisted of 4 things. Cream of Wheat for Breakfast. sugar free Jello for lunch. Greek yogurt for dinner. Premier Protein shakes in between meals. I was only eating 1-1.5 ounces of anything per meal. I was lucky to drink any more than 1 Protein shake (30 grams of protein) per day for the first week. I sipped on Water constantly, but was only getting in about 40 ounces a day for at least a week. I just wasn't hungry and nothing really sounded good, but my nutritionist said it was important to eat something and try to get my protein and fluids in, so that it what I did. For Vitamins I use TwinLab Bariatric chewable vitamins and TwinLab Bariatric Chewable Calcium. They aren't the greatest tasting things in the world, but they aren't terrible either. I get them both on either Amazon or from Swanson Vitamins, depending on availability when I need them. They seem to be frequently out of stock on both sites. I think the important thing to remember the first 2 weeks is that it will probably be a struggle to get in your fluids and protein, but it does get easier. Just do what you can do and don't worry about it too much!

I bought the 100 calorie pack almonds yesterday...but havent had them yet. love the Greek yogurt. Thanks for the advice.

What stage are you on? That will count for a lot in what Proteins you can have. Generally speaking, meat, fish, eggs, cheese, Greek yogurt all have good amounts of Protein. How much protein varies by what type.

Hi everyone, I'm 24 days post op had the sleeve done. I've seen my doctor and nutritionist twice already and was sent for i.v fluids and nausea medication. These last few weeks have not been easy but I get it this is a complete life change but the reason why im so frustrated is because I've now become sensitive to lactose and can not tolerate any milk products and even worse my allergy to soy is more sensitive than ever... what im really hoping for is help or advice on food ideas. To be completely honest im just sick of only Greek yogurt, Crystal light, broths but thankfully I can now handle a very soft chicken and green beans. I can only still have tiny amonts of anything period couple sips of protein or water at a time and 2 or 3 bites of soft foods. My nutritionist also told me to stay away from pasta, crackers, potatoes and rice. If anyone can tell me what their eating or ideas of things I can try soy and milk free please and thanks. Good luck too all my fellow pre and post op friends

If you're on soft foods you don't need pureed food. There are plenty of things you can eat. Yogurt, small curd cottage cheese, refried beans, blended soups, eggs, mashed bananas, apple sauce, humus, avocado, smoothies, tuna fish, oatmeal, cream of wheat, cooked vegetables, baked beans, guacamole, baked potato, sugar free pudding. The list is endless you just have to be creative.

For soft food stage, I did: Puréed beans (black or pinto). If you add a bit of cheese for the last 5seconds or so in the microwave, it’s great. And if you can tolerate it, eat with a bit of mild salsa or guac Puréed egg salad. 2 eggs puréed with 1tbl each of mayo and Greek yogurt Ricotta bake (google eggface ricotta bake). Sometimes I add a layer of puréed spinach.

I fly every 1-2 months sometimes 10-12 hours one way and never had any big issues with my band. I find it is best to request low calorie meals to eat ( they usually serve fish, eggs or softer kind of foods) and if I eat slow the food never gets stuck. I always prepare a just in case plan and bring yogurt or a soft kind of food to eat in case my band disagrees with the food served during the long flights.

I have 1 more week of the full liquid diet. How did you make it through. I am really wanting some else other than protein drink, yogurt, jell-o , popsicles and broth. Help please Sent from my SM-G975U using BariatricPal mobile app

Obviously we can not eat as much as presleeve. That's the point. But how do I avoid wasting food?? I'm on full liquids now, made cream of wheat for breakfast took 5 bites was full and the rest went in the trash. I feel like I could eat on 1 package for a week. I'm eating my mid-day snack right now (Greek light and fit yogurt) and I'm barely 1/4 thru and can feel the full sensation happening. I don't want to just throw it away. I feel like I'm wasting money. How can I save these things?? Or with the cream of wheat, how do I determine how much to make so that I'm not making the entire package??? Sleeve Date: March 28, 2013 Weight on surgery date: 281 First Goal 50lbs: July 13, 2013 (231)