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I find it odd that every doctor is completely different on diet pre and post op. Yogurt seems like an obvious choice, but my doc said no. Just Protein and water/sugar free drink for 2 weeks. I am down 16 lbs since Monday weigh in.

I picked up some yogurt ice pops from target. I had some yogurt yesterday. I haven't touched not one ounce of chicken broth ???????????????? cranberry juice is all that I have been drinking besides Water. Lollipops have been delicious because I was sick of ice pops and cold stuff makes me get chest pains.... Weird. I have apple sauce too. My doctor said anything that is milk based I can eat. He also said that I could eat some oatmeal as long as I use milk to mix it up. Hopefully that will help! ????????

Aren't you allowed yogurt, cottage cheese, etc? I still used Protein supplements early out, but got a lot of my protein from yogurt, cottage cheese, tuna, refried Beans, and similar foods.

I don’t go out to eat at restaurants very often; I prepare my own meals. It occurred to me, though, that I very rarely actually cook “real” dishes. Breakfast might be something like instant oatmeal and a container of yogurt; lunch could be a salad with some sardines or tuna, and dinner might be beans and veggies, or a vegetable stir fry made with tofu or veggie burger patties. But I don’t think that qualifies as “real” cooking! I guess I don’t really feel like taking the time to make gourmet meals, so I use convenience foods – although healthy ones – instead. Do you cook a lot? What do you make? Do you cook nightly? Or do you make, portion, and freeze big batches on weekends? Also…are you cooking just for yourself, or do you have a family to cook for?

LipStickLady, Good question! And a lot of good answers. Thanks for not making us differentiate between Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. To each her own, and no reason to filter any great answers just because they’re traditionally one meal or the other! Vegetarian chili is a hit at our house. It’s super easy, you can make it ahead of time, it makes a huge recipe, and it’s so healthy. If you want, you can just have the chili. Otherwise, you can top it with shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, sliced avocados, or plain fat-free Greek yogurt. For the diners who aren’t watching their weight, they can mop it up with bread or serve it over rice. For the diners who require meat at every meal, you can add ground beef or turkey. It has cans of Beans (chickpea, kidney, black, whatever you want), diced celery, onion, and bell peppers, and chili seasoning. Pretty simple! But if I’m too lazy to do even that, eggs with spinach can do the trick easily for a one-person, quick meal. Great ideas here – thanks to everyone for sharing!

We share the same sleeversary I'm back home and having difficulty getting everything in. It's way tougher than I expect. I wondered if the doctor had actually done anything because I never feel any kind of restriction, just lack of desire. The only time I barfed was in the hospital because I don't take to painkillers kindly. Once out I kinda forgot I'd had it done and took a few gulps of Water. It didn't feel great. Sip sip sip! I'm only using acetaminophen as a painkiller during the day, and im taking hydrocodone at night because it makes my vision blurry. My doc has cleared me for full liquids, so I'm on yogurt, cream Soups with with no lumps, and Protein shakes mixed with milk or milk substitutes.

Hi there, that feeling of "What have I done?" is common, as is the fear that it's not going to work. I failed at so many diets over the years and worried that I'd be the one person who failed at LapBand. I'm very grateful that when I was in the research stage and newly-banded there was not the flood of negative information out there as I probably would have been deterred and still fighting my weight problems. Those people do go on (and on) -- many are unwilling to change eating patterns like fast food, etc. and it's important not to have the band too tight -- the links below in my signature helped me understand this. The Lapband is Not About Restriction and the Eight Golden Rules. Honestly, I read that Simpson piece over and over to get it through my big fat head. Restriction is a word we use with regard to the amount of fill but it's misleading. There are things that surprised me about what my body prefers and tolerates now. I was pretty sure I'd be eating scrambled eggs as I've always loved those. Well, they don't work well for me now but a fried egg -- something I never liked -- is kind of perfect for me. I need to be able to chew. My test for myself is salmon and broccoli. I need to be able to eat those foods (Slowly, oh that's still hard for me to remember sometimes but the band reminds me). Dense protein well-chewed is where it's at. I use chicken thighs for the most part or pound the chicken (I like those organic tenders) so it's not too fibrous. For burger i sauté it with stock over time so it's not stringy. These are just my personal tendencies. And I splurge on tenderloin or filet mignon when we go out. I don't eat rice or bread, etc., although my husband is gluten-free and I do have a few rice crackers with cheeses, etc. I thought I'd have to give up cheese -- worried that I might come out of surgery lactose intolerant or something -- but I really love cheese and I haven't really had to "give up" anything. It's important for me not to have sliders. Yogurt is a slider for me so I add chia seeds, a little GF cereal, a few nuts, etc. To give myself something to really chew. It's the chewing that signals the brain for satiety. So for me the cheese needs a cracker or some celery or something to chew. Last night I was on the way to a performance and suddenly needed food. Ducked into a market for a cheese stick and a small bag of unsalted almonds and a square of chocolate. Had about half of each. Full. No desire to go on and on, which is what I always did before. I am able to stop. No more appetite monster to appease! Good luck. You're going to do great! Pay attention to your pants and how they loosen rather than the scale. It will all happen!

Now that I have finally had the gastric sleeve surgery, I'm still in shock that I got it! Like, I can't wrap my head around the fact that my stomach is now really small. I'm doing pretty well by my standards. My left side is bruised so bad it looks like someone painted me purple. Eating has been going really well. I haven't thrown anything up (knock on wood). I'm very sensitive to pain medication because I have chronic migraines, but that actually hasn't been too bad either. I am having the Post-op blues though. Was this pain worth it? Can I really change my diet? When can I just eat solid foods again! And I'm really done with sugar free things! Did anyone else have to be on sugar free popcicles, pudding, and yogurt? We're you ever able to switch back? I sometimes have pain in my chest after I eat and I tend to burn a little and that hurts too. Is that normal? Thank you for any input you might have.

@@Dar200 @@Niki15 I don't have time for a blog but here are some of my favorite recipes. I've included the nutrition facts and pics: Premier Protein pudding Cups or Pops 2 cups Premier chocolate protein shakes 1 small pkg Jello sugar-free/fat-free instant pudding (dry mix) Prepare pudding according to package directions replacing milk with chocolate Premier Protein shake. I prefer to use my NutriBullet. If using shaker, shake for 3 minutes or until thickened slightly. Pour into ½ cup containers for pudding cups. For frozen pops, pour into Jello pudding pop or any popsicle molds. Jello molds hold 1/3 cup each. Pudding cups set in 5 minutes and freezer pops in approx. 2-3 hours. Any flavor sugar-free fat-free pudding works, so get creative and enjoy! Nutrition Facts – Pudding Serving size: ½ cup Calories 93 Fat 1g Carbs 10g Fiber 2g Sugars 0g Protein 12g Serving Size: 1 Pop Calories 62 Fat 1g Carbs 7g Fiber 1g Sugars 0g Protein 8g cheese Crisp Squares 2 slices - Sargento Ultra thin Colby Jack cheese sprinkle of seasoning to taste (I like cayenne pepper) Break each slice into 4 equal squares, place on parchment paper and lightly sprinkle with your choice of seasoning (no need for salt). Must be parchment paper - NO exceptions! Place in 350° preheated oven on a baking sheet or pizza stone and bake for approximately 3-5 minutes. Keep an eye on them so they don't burn. Slide parchment paper off to cool on counter. Place cheese crisps on paper a towel to soak up any oil. They are super thin and delightfully crispy. They'll satisfy both your chip and cracker needs. Nutrition Facts Serving size 8 crackers Calories 80 Fat 7g Carbs 1g Fiber 0g Sugar 0g Protein 5g Magic Crust Quiche - Ham Ingredients 2 cups 1% Lowfat Milk 1/2 cup All-purpose flour 5 large eggs 1/2 cup 2% Reduced Fat Pepper Jack Cheese shredded 1/2 cup 2% Reduced Fat Swiss Cheese shredded 1/2 cup 2% Reduced Fat Sharp Cheddar Cheese shredded 7 oz Ham diced small 1/4 cup Cooked red bell pepper diced small 1/4 cup Cooked Vidalia or sweet onion diced small Preheat oven to 350˚. In a blender or NutriBullet, mix eggs, milk and flour until blended, season with salt, pepper, garlic powder or whatever you’d like. In a bowl combine all cheeses, cooked meat and cooked veggies (optional). Now add blended mixture and stir to combine. Pour into an 8”x8” or 9”x9” square glass dish. Bake for 50-55 minutes. Let stand 5-10 before serving. You can add whatever cheeses, veggies or meats suit your taste. I steer clear of chicken as it seems to dry to me. The small amount of flour firms up the sides and bottom making the “magic crust” while saving tons of calories. The Nutrition Facts are based on recipe above. FYI - the heavier meats, like ground beef, tend to fall to the bottom. Serving size is approximately 2”x2 1/2” Nutrition Facts Servings 12 Per serving: Calories 120 Protein 12g Fat 5g Cholesterol 94 mg Sodium 253 mg Potassium 59 mg Total Carbohydrate 7 g Sugars 2 g PIZZA CRUST – (Chicken) Ingredients One pound ground (raw) chicken breast ¼ cup grated Parmesan ¼ cup Reduced fat 4 cheese Italian shredded cheese – ¼ cup shredded cheese is 1 oz. by weight ½ teaspoon garlic powder ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp black or cayenne pepper (I used cayenne) Tools Mixing bowl (stand mixer - easiest combining method) Baking sheet, pizza pan or pizza stone (crispiest crust) Parchment paper Wax paper Rolling pin Pam or any vegetable non-stick cooking spray Instructions Preheat oven to 450°F. In a medium bowl combine all of the above ingredients.Place a wet paper towel on a flat surface then place your parchment paper on it. Spray it with Pam and then put your chicken mixture on top. Mixture makes 1 large or I like to make 6 – 3 oz. portions, so 6 individual crusts. Lightly spray a sheet of wax paper with non-stick cooking spray (makes for easy removal). Place wax paper, sprayed side down and evenly press using a rolling pin to get it as thin as you’d like. Remove the wax paper and place parchment paper on pan bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes (depending on thickness). Put the crust between two paper towels and pat to absorb any grease. It is chicken after all. Then place it on a new sheet of parchment before topping it. Top baked crust with sauce, cheese and you favorite healthy toppings. Place back in oven on baking sheet or preheated pizza stone and cook until melted and bubbly 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from oven and enjoy! If you bake it on a pizza stone it will get crispier. Crust Only: Nutrition Facts Amount Per Serving: Servings 6.0 Calories 114 Total Fat 3g Carbohydrate 1g Dietary Fiber 0g Sugars 0g Protein 19g As Prepared : 1 Tbsp Prego pizza sauce 2 Tbsp Sargento reduced fat 4 cheese Italian shreds 1 tsp sautéed Vidalia onion 1 tsp sautéed red bell pepper ½ oz. cooked 90/10 lean ground beef Nutrition Facts Servings 1.0 Calories 238 Total Fat 10g Carbohydrate 5g Dietary Fiber 1g Sugars 2g Protein 31g Crustless Protein Pumpkin Pie 15 oz. can 100% pumpkin (not pie filling) ½ cup Egg whites or Egg beaters 1 ½ cup Premier Protein vanilla shake ¾ cup Splenda ½ tsp. Salt 2 Tbsp. Pumpkin pie spice Preheat oven 400°. Spray pie pan with non-stick cooking spray. Beat all ingredients together until smooth and creamy. Pour into prepared pie pan. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes, then turn down to 375° and bake for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. It is best served cold and can even be frozen. Serving size is 1/6 slice of pie. I used a Tbsp. of fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt as a topping (pic) but you could use Reddi-Wip fat-free whipped cream for an additional 5 calories & only 1 carb per 2 Tbsp. serving. Nutrition Facts Servings: 6 Calories 77 Fat 1g Carbs 10g Fiber 4g Sugars 6g Protein 9g

@@winklie I'm sure you could substitute the unjury shakes. Here's another one I forgot that's simple and really tasty for crustless pumpkin pie: Crustless Protein Pumpkin Pie 15 oz. can 100% pumpkin (not pie filling) ½ cup Egg whites or Egg beaters 1 ½ cup Premier Protein vanilla shake ¾ cup Splenda ½ tsp. Salt 2 Tbsp. Pumpkin pie spice Preheat oven 400°. Spray pie pan with non-stick cooking spray. Beat all ingredients together until smooth and creamy. Pour into prepared pie pan. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes, then turn down to 375° and bake for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. It is best served cold and can even be frozen. Serving size is 1/6 slice of pie. I used a Tbsp. of fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt as a topping (pic) but you could use Reddi-Wip fat-free whipped cream for an additional 5 calories & only 1 carb per 2 Tbsp. serving. Nutrition Facts Servings: 6 Calories 77 Fat 1g Carbs 10g Fiber 4g Sugars 6g Protein 9g

@rxs778 Why tempt fate? I'm almost 7 months post-op and I'd rather find alternative recipes to have my favorite foods. Many things can be made bariatric friendly. Then you don't have to worry about if you'll get sick or feel guilty. Here's a really simple, high Protein and great tasting pumpkin pie recipe. If you want crackers, steer clear of the traditional boxed white flour garbage and make your own fresh crispy cheese crackers. They taste so delicious. Here are both of the recipes along with nutrition facts and pics: Crustless Protein Pumpkin Pie 15 oz. can 100% pumpkin (not pie filling) ½ cup Egg whites (Egg beaters) 1 ½ cup Premier Protein vanilla shake ¾ cup Splenda ½ tsp. Salt 2 Tbsp. Pumpkin pie spice Preheat oven 400°. Spray pie pan with non-stick cooking spray. Beat all ingredients together until smooth and creamy. Pour into prepared pie pan. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes, then turn down to 375° and bake for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. It is best served cold and can even be frozen. Serving size is 1/6 slice of pie. I used a Tbsp. of fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt as a topping (pic) but you could use Reddi-Wip fat-free whipped cream for an additional 5 calories & only 1 carb per 2 Tbsp. serving. Nutrition Facts Servings: 6 Calories 77 Fat 1g Carbs 10g Fiber 4g Sugars 6g Protein 9g Cheese Crisp Squares 2 slices - Sargento Ultra thin Colby Jack cheese sprinkle of seasoning to taste (I like cayenne pepper) Break each slice into 4 equal squares, place on parchment paper and lightly sprinkle with your choice of seasoning (no need for salt). Must be parchment paper - NO exceptions! Place in 350° preheated oven on a baking sheet or pizza stone and bake for approximately 3-5 minutes. Keep an eye on them so they don't burn. Slide parchment paper off to cool on counter. Place cheese crisps on paper a towel to soak up any oil. They are super thin and delightfully crispy. They'll satisfy both your chip and cracker needs. Nutrition Facts Serving size 8 crackers Calories 80 Fat 7g Carbs 1g Fiber 0g Sugar 0g Protein 5g

Now you're catching on. There's a law that mandates feeling ridiculous early in the process. It takes a while to absorb the new practices and to feel competent and capable. It's just the way it is for most. As to chicken or any other foods that are known to be problematic: If you run into difficulties, they may come and go. You'll see how all these things play out as you go along. There are times yogurt and other thick liquids are uncomfortable for me. Sounds ludicrous and much of this is just that. .

@@Dar200 Lesson learned: 300 calories of coffee and yogurt, you will fail to make it to the bathroom at least twice. Just in case anyone was contemplating such a crazy day, be warned!

The PB2 is wonderful. I added a tsp to my vanilla Greek yogurt. Delish.

Indieflickers, Good for you for noticing early that your own lunches aren’t looking as good anymore compared to the catered lunches you’re seeing! What about: veggie burgers with a side of veggies (grape tomatoes, baby carrots, bell pepper strips; hard-boiled eggs with some fruit; drinkable yogurt (since you can’t use a spoon at your job); roasted soybeans or garbanzo beans; high-Protein snack foods (like pretzels or chips that are sold at online specialty stores).

Dr. Adeyeri, Thanks for your helpful tips and the shopping list for warehouse stores. Along with lowering costs, I think it’s also important to think about convenience when stocking the kitchen to avoid trips to fast food restaurants. You mentioned some ready-to-eat foods like spinach and yogurt. Those are great! I also like to get pouches of tuna, baby carrots, string cheese, and pretty much any kind of fruit for a quick snack – tangerines, grapes, and apples are all affordable. Thanks for this article. It’s always good to have new ideas for affordable, healthy, easy foods!

@@LynnAlex My best friend had a band installed 5 years ago. He lost some weight, it was up and down, fills were common and he had a lot of problems finding foods he could eat. He lost about 40 pounds and sort of stayed there. Two years ago he deployed (as a civilian) to Afghanistan and having nothing to do, decided to get back into the military workout routine. He lost 50 pounds. Came home and had a fill. As it turns out they overfilled him. He figured he would just keep losing weight and grow into the fill. He gained weight back, 10-20 pounds up and down and has been in that range for the last two years. He had the fill reduced 2 weeks ago, and lost six pounds in his first week. The problem was the fill was so tight all he could eat were soft carbs, so in spite of walking 25K steps EVERY SINGLE DAY and being one of the most active people I know he was not losing any weight. Now that the fill set correctly, he can eat hard Protein again and had lost about 15 pounds. However, he still eats what he wants. If he wants a snickers bar, he eats one. So in spite of the band, he'll remain around his current weight just because he pushes his caloric intake everyday. Oh he is also a nighttime alcoholic, what was the odd beer or two at night is now, 8-10 oz of Jack seven days a week. I love him like a brother and would take a bullet for him (we enlisted together), but I cannot solve his drinking problem. He has to realize it's a problem, and given his past history he won't until it is too late and his wife leaves him. The point of all this was soft carbs versus hard protein, in 3 weeks I go to an unrestricted diet, and intend on eating solid foods as much as humanly possible, because with the exception of my beloved yogurt, I am a bit tired of soft food. This just gave me an idea for a chicken stir fry I could probably eat......

I had cottage cheese (low fat), Greek yogurt (Total Farg which is high in protein), fish and chicken, thicker Soups pureed, as well as keeping to the full liquids for a while and introducing a new food slowly. I tended to stick to what worked for me, for a number of days. I chose high Protein foods and made sure they were pureed well. Did you get meal plans from your bariatric team? Edited to add eggs, eggs and more eggs.

I said I would update you all, so here is an update. I had a Protein shake this am. I skipped lunch (was going to have tuna salad but was out) Had a bowl of Chili for dinner, I even allowed myself a couple of crackers. I'll have my daily yogurt tonight for a snack. Meal planning is a work in progress. So things are getting better.

At 8 months post RNY I've realized I need to keep better track of my nutrients. I've written all of my food in a journal since surgery but haven't tracked nutrients for several months. Started tracking on My Fitness Pal and found I'm over....way over, where I should be. I've always struggled with making satisfying low calorie, low fat meals, apparently I still do. Now that I have quantity under better (not perfect) control my next hurdle is meal planning for optimum health. I'd love to see how others do it. It being eating 60-100 grams of Protein and 60-100 grams of carbs while staying satisfied and eating whole, less processed foods. If you do it dairy free even better....yogurt, cottage cheese, milk and I have issues. Please, please, please share your daily menus with me! If you use MFP and have journaled your diet and are willing to share it please friend me, my username is Goodnuff there too. Thanks.

@ - just remember mixing with milk ups the carbs, calories, fat, etc. I don't particularly like it in water. I mix with some greek yogurt (and ice/water) to give it a flavor and to get rid of the chalkiness that I seem to taste in just water. Some mix with almond milk, cashew milk, soy or farmlife.

@LuckyStar. The one I is VEDApure I order it from Amazon. It's a powder that you can mix in anything. I usually just mix it in a bottle of water flavored with crystal light drops. I can barely taste it. You could mix it in yogurt, protein drinks, etc. hope it works for you!! It made a huge difference for me

You need to remember that without the liquid diet there may not be a surgery. That is what pushed me to get me through it. Yogurt sugar free jello broth protein shakes will get you through. You can do it. Stop thinking about it.

Started my day off with waking up early and have a yummy protein shake (Rockin Refuel) I love love love them they are the best and cheapest single protein shakes I've been able to find! They are available at Giant and are really delicious! I will include a picture of them in todays entry! I also had another successful day of eating healthy and not drinking any sugary drinks! I don't have much to include in todays entry so I wont blabber on anymore! Here is what I ate today! Breakfast: - Rockin Refuel protein drink Snack: - pretzels(28) - laughing cow cheese (garlic and herb) Lunch: - chicken burrito skillet Snack: - Yoplait yogurt (mixed berry) Dinner: - buffalo chicken salad

My surgery was Monday 11/9. Doc said it couldn't have gone better, but i had real difficulty keeping pain meds down on tuesday, so they made me stay for another night. One incision is crazy painful, the rest I don't feel at all. It took 4 staff and an ultrasound machine to get a line on me, so I look bruised and battered. Because of my uncontrollable painkiller induced nausea and vomiting, I could only keep Water down. The hospital food was naaaaaasty. They released me yestersay. Today I've had cream Soup and yogurt. My tummy is making lots of gurgley noises, and it hurts to cough, sneeze and laugh.