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try here: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f9/lapband-food-stages-lists-suggestions-3995/ i relied on: hummus cottage cheese tuna/egg/chicken salad egg drop Soup greek yogurt ricotta bake scrambled eggs ff refried beans/lf sour cream/salsa

I eat about every 2 to 3 hours and I am just now at 6 weeks! If I eat chicken, tuna, or beef I get full in just a few bites! Soups and yogurts I can eat a couple of ounces! And my protein drinks it usually takes me an hour to an hour and a half to drink 8 ounces!

I am four weeks out. Have been on soft foods since week 2. My diet includes: ground turkey, chicken, eggs, cheese, high protein yogurt, cauliflower crust pizza, turkey jerky, refried beans, cottage cheese, protein shakes (one a day), peaches, banana & egg pancakes (mash one banana with one egg and some baking powder), chicken sausages, chicken salad. Today I get to start introducing other foods and can have anything my body tolerates. Of course that's eating your protein first then veggie. 1/2 cup at a time.

Applesauce and refried beans were a nice break from broth. Took me 3 tries to finish a yogurt.

I'm debating on trying yogurt today too. I am no where near dehydrated yet. I can feel how swollen it is though. Drinking tea this morning. Then I'll try some protein. Dropping weight quickly. Go for follow up tomorrow. Decided to take the whole week off I think. Until I can eat yogurt without being scared, I feel like I don't need to work yet. Did you thin the yogurt with milk? My instructions say to do that.

Mostly Protein, with limited carbs and at least 50oz of Water (I count the Protein shake as part of my daily liquid requirements) Premier Protein shake every morning, half at 8am and the second at 10am. lunch is typically 3-4 oz of chicken, turkey, fish or shrimp with a few veggies Afternoon snack is a low carb Protein Bar dinner includes more fish, chicken, turkey or maybe steak Evening snack is a low calorie Greek yogurt with some sugar free strawberry or raspberry jelly I walk 2-4 miles 3 times a week and occasionally an extra 5-10 miles on the weekends... My weightloss is slowing from 3-4 lbs per week to 2-3 lbs at almost 6 months, so it's time I start hitting the gym. I've got another 37 lbs to my goal weight and I think that's attainable during the next 4 months. That's about everything I do, except for 1 or 2 drinks a week which stalls my weightloss for the next day or two.

I did a web search for a lap band forum and found this one, I have browsed through a few posts and it looks like it could be a really good resource for me. I had my surgery on 10/17/2007 in Paducah, KY. They have a great Weight Wellness Center at Lourdes Hospital there and it is only about 60 miles from my home in Northwest Tennessee. I started going up there back in March 2007. He does a lot of testing before surgery and, of course, there is the wait for insurance approval. He started me on a liver shinkage diet back in July, the 23rd to be exact. It is a no salt, no sugar, no fat and no caffine diet that does jump start weight loss. My surgery went fine and I have had no problems with nausea or pain so far. This past week they moved me up to blended soft foods and that has gone pretty well, mostly cream soups, sugar free pudding and yogurt to this point. I have experimented with some protein shake recipes they gave me and am still sipping water most of the time. Seems like one of the most important things in getting enough protein so I am concentrating on that. I will appreciate any advice I can get from some of you who have already been down this long road. I am 60 years old and have low thyroid, high blood pressure and Diabeties Type II. I am already off my diabeties meds and they have cut the dosage on my Synthroid in half. They are watching my blood pressure to make adjustments in the dosage as my needs change. I made the decision to have the surgery as I have spinal arthritis with severe spinal stenois and will probably require surgery for it in the near furture. The spinal specialist I see in Memphis, TN says it would be dangerous to do the surgery until I lose weight so after years of yoyo dieting I knew I had to make a permanent decison. My decison was for LBS and I pray it was the right choice for me.

Tomorrow will be 2 weeks post-op for me and I can finally eat mushy food!!!! What I was wondering is... what did you guys eat on the mushy diet?? I know all the basics....applesauce, yogurt, pudding, creamy soups, but what else have you tried?? I would love to have some kind of variety. Can I eat runny oatmeal or grits?? How about mashed potatoes?? Any info will help! Thanks in advance!

Banded 2010 (Dec). It seems everyday is different. Normally I cannot eat breakfast early. I can occasionally have an egg with chopped ham. But now that I'm at 5.5cc for me, oatmeal, cream of wheat, cottage cheese with mixed yogurt and granola is my style. I can't do bread at all, maybe a small baby bite of whole grain toast...but not my preference as I risk a stick with bread. About a cup each meal.

Well I'm 28 weeks now and am up to 135.5 lbs so getting close to 20lbs I've gained. I find I reach for Soups and yogurts and things that go down easily. I can eat an english muffin in the am with a HOT coffee and its fine. Anything really hot helps me get my foods down easily. If I try to take a few sips of Water that is cold I will throw that up. My OB thinks by 39 weeks when they plan to induce me I should be around the 145-150 mark so 35lb weight gain in total. I have a HUGE love affair with sweets that's def not helping me along with the weight gain....lol....Get's even worse when I'm breastfeeding...... Fritzy1980.......Do find you have restriction at all? Are there any foods you can't get down?

My current favorite is 3 oz greek yogurt sweetened with 2 packets splenda on top of 1.3 oz (half of a prepackaged single serving) of kashi go lean crunch cereal with 1/3 cup of some kind of berries - currently blueberries. I swear the Kashi GO Lean Crunch cereal tastes kind of like a cross between honey smacks and apple cinnamon cherrios.

I dont like a lot of milk on my cereal anyway, usually I do the 1/2 cup cereal 1/4 cup milk ratio. I like the crunch too. And most of the time when I eat cereal, its muesli, so I might have yogurt instead of milk.

I really found that if i took my Protein shakes (2 a day for me right now) at 8 oz each then I do not get that hungry. Ive been doing shake in the morning then 30 min later i start sipping, water, vitamin water or other liquids. every 3 hrs or so I have a snack (popsicle, yogurt, pudding, cream of wheat, etc but about 4 oz is all i can take in) then I have my next protein shake in the evenings. Its been 8 days since surgery for me

I wasn't a yogurt fan pre-op but I tried yoplait Greek 100 post-op in order to have something to mix my crushed ursoforte in and it tasted pretty good. Ive now had oikos and like that too. Its also good frozen for a treat. I had a very hard time with water. Crystal light helped and so did the sf koolaid. I also make decaff tea in my keurig and add some lemon and splenda and lots of ice and that helped me get my liquid in. Vitamin water zero is also good. I ususally don't care for flavored water but those are naturally flavored and taste pretty good.

Hi everyone. I know there is some debate over Pro Yo frozen yogurt with Protein and if it is the right source of protein for us however I am struggling to get my protein in. It seems like some protein is better then none at all. Does anyone know of a place I can order this and have it shipped? I checked the website for a list of places that carry it and can't find anything in Indiana. Thanks!

Constipation is a common problem after weight loss surgery. My doctor talked about this yesterday. Was told that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Prevention: Drink 60+ ounce of fluids per day! Fiber supplements...fiber gummies, Benefiber, Wheat germ 4oz of apple or prune juice with 4oz of water. Probiotics like Greek Activia Yogurt 1 Tablespoon Allbran, 1 Tablespoon applesauce, 1 Tablespoon prune juice. Combine ingredients and refrigerate over night. Take 3 Tablespoons and repeat daily as necessary. Rescue: Milk of Magnesia Miralax Enema Suppositories Stool softener (Colace) All of this is from my doctor...you should check with YOUR OWN doctor before trying these....just putting them out there as things you could ask about. Good luck, and feel better:)

That list seems like a progression from clears , through full liquids and on into mushy foods. You are probably on the full liquids stage now, where essentially, anything you can suck through a straw counts as a liquid. Many doctors only require "clears" for a day or two after surgery. Here's your list divided into categories: Clears coffee, tea, (clear) fruit juice Vegetable stock and Crystal Light, Nutrasweet Kool-Aid Clear broth or Lipton Soup bags sugar free Jell-O or Popsicles Full liquids Blenderized soup Vegetable juices Skim milk or Lactaid milk Yogurt Sugar Free pudding Mushy foods Cottage cheese Applesauce, oatmeal, grits or cream of wheat. Well blended mash potatoes I imagine you were told not to start mushies for at least a week after banding. Once you get there, try things like refried Beans, tuna or whitefish salad, gefilte fish, really thick Soups like black bean, or chili. At that point pretty much anything goes if it's soft enough to mash with a fork.

I had the gastric bypass the end of April and have lost 25 lbs over the last 2.5 months.. I feel my weight loss has literally halted here. Does anyone have advice on changes they made when they noticed stalls? I drink over 50ozs of water a day a protein shake and yogurt { Danon light and fit with 12 grams protein and also try to eat some oatmeal for breakfast and veggies and grilled chicken for dinner. Along with waking 2 miles every day. I’m following all of the advice but have literally only lost 1 lb in the last 2 weeks which is very frustrating. I’m shocked to see how slow my weight loss has been with such a calorie deficit.has anyone else experienced this issue and if so do you have any advice? My nutritionist does not advise using the shakes more than once a day but they do offer a lot of protein. I’m curious to hear about others experiences and what foods they have chosen that helped in their weight loss journey…Thank you in advance!

I'm 5 months post-op and have fallen into a "normal" pattern. I keep my priority food Protein, and try to include fruits and veggies with every meal. Breakfast is typically 1/2 cup of oatmeal and 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt. lunch is typically 1/3 cup of lean protein (tuna, chicken, etc), 1/3 cup of fruit (pears, peaches, grapefruit) and 1/3 cup of veggies. dinner I try to do a larger serving of protein (usually 3/4 cup) because I get hungry a few hours after I eat dinner, for some reason, then can't sleep. I'll add in some fruit or veggies. Usually mid-day, between lunch and dinner, I'll have a rice cake or a handful of almonds. I have 6.5 cc in my 11 cc band and finally feel at a place where 1 cup of food keeps me full between meals as long as I stay hydrated. Right now I'm taking in between 800-1200 calories a day, but I'm seeing a nutritionist tomorrow because I've been on a plateau for two months.

I was eating soups, yogurt, and oatmeal 10 days post op. You can still drink occasional protein shake, just to get your protein in, which helps with the healing process.

Below is a "typical" day's menu: As for carbs, mostly I get them from my shakes, Greek yogurt, and the very limited veggies I'm able to fit in after my Protein. Other doctors and nutritionists give you carb targets, but my doctor just says to limit them as much as possible. If you're not logging your food yet, I'd suggest using http://www.myfitnesspal.com/. It helps you keep track of your protein and fluids, but also can help you figure out if anything is going off track and affecting your weight loss. Okay, here's an example of my day: I keep a 2-quart jug and a 24-oz Tervis tumbler (with a handle) both at home and at work. I count my Breakfast Premier Protein shake as a meal, not a Fluid. (30 grams of protein) 30-60 minutes later, I have a cup of coffee. (Count it as a fluid if you like.) After that, I drink a 24-oz. tumbler of decaf, sugar-free iced tea, like Crystal Light throughout the morning. (Lots of frequent sips) Then I walk for 40+ minutes. Then it's lunchtime - tuna salad or chicken salad, or leftover protein from dinner. (16-22 grams of protein) and maybe a bite of veggies if there's room. About 45 minutes after lunch, I'll fill another 24-oz tumbler of iced tea and sip that throughout the afternoon, finishing by 30 minutes before my afternoon snack. At around 4:00, my afternoon snack is usually a Greek yogurt (12 grams of protein) or some leftovers. (This is also a good time to get in some veggies or a V-8 if you're getting enough protein at other times.) Maybe a cup of hot tea in the later afternoon. (Count it as a fluid you like.) Then dinner – again, getting 20-25 grams of protein from lean steak, fish, chicken, or pork, and maybe a bite or two of veggies. Finally, another 24-oz cup of iced tea or Water 30-45 minutes after dinner that I sip throughout the evening. If I'm hungry later, sugar-free Jello or sugar-free popsicles are good. And if I'm short on protein or still hungry, another yogurt or protein shake. (I'm not worried about the calories because this menu only provides 700-900 per day.) So that's 70+ grams of protein and 72+ ounces of fluid, with some exercise as well. If you have a regular enough schedule, you can follow it every day. If not, maybe a modified version will work. An here's my secret weapon – Beef Jerky! (Or turkey.) A 3-ounce bag provides 30-39 grams of protein, and almost no fat for around 200-240 calories. Yes, there's sodium, so if that's a problem for you this may not work. When I'm super busy and eating meals in my car, a bag of Jerky will get me through. Lately I've been away from home for a lot of meals, and some days I practically live on jerky. And I still lose weight. But you've gotta keep getting the 64+ ounces of fluid in every single day. The big trick is in pre-planning your meals and your fluids, especially if you're going to be away from home or work. In those cases, I always make sure there will be something I can eat, or I bring along a Protein shake or some kind of meat to carry me through. I've also gotten pretty good at restaurant eating. I avoid the bread and salad, order chicken, steak, lamb, fish, or pork, trade in the starch for a second veggie, skip the dessert.... and end up taking half of the meat, and almost all of the veggies home. I know we need to learn to eat "normally", but I'm not there yet – especially when it comes to carbs. When I get to goal weight, I'll work on finding my new low-carb "normal". Hope that helps! Rog

I'm newly sleeved, 8 days out, and I'm already learning that head hunger is going to be a pain. Especially when pizza Hut commercials come on. This was a problem through the 2 week pre-op, but I kept my focus. I thought more of my hunger would have gone away post-op, but there's still a fair bit there. That combined with overall deprivation has stirred up some annoying cravings. Sometimes its just for yummy healthy stuff my family has for dinner (baked salmon never looked so good) and sometimes it is stuff from commercials, or something someone posts on Facebook (did I need to know that my cousin wen to Chick-Fil-A? thanks for that craving!) Given that the surgery took away most of my stomach, and I know that my fat stores, plus the oodles of Vitamins I'm taking, are plenty to sustain me, and I am also eating three meals/day of about 1/3 cup of strained Soup or yogurt, I think most of this is head hunger. That being said, what are your strategies for dealing with it? So far I've been reaching for my Calcium (yummy BA calcium chews that taste like candy!). Or I try to distract myself. But you guys who have been at it longer, what are your coping strategies?

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.

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.

I really didn't feel things going down as much as I do now that I received my fill. Which I am glad because I want that restriction. The 1st week I did the liquids, but I also was allowed things like grits, cream of wheat, Soup - no chunk items. I also tried a little mashed potatoes - they were thin of course with milk. I was banded on 9/14 and had my 1st fill on 9/28 and I can pretty much tolerate any fairly soft food. As long it is not too course and chopped up fine. Yogurt is good as well and it does have Protein in it. Make sure you have Protein drinks that taste good - or it will make it harder for you during the liquid time. I love the chocolate whey Tech from Vitamin Shoppe. It tastes just like a chocolate Yoo Hoo. Good Luck. Kim B Banded 9/14/05 Fill 9/28/05 - 5.2 307/292/140 Dr. Dirk Rodriguez Methodist Hospital Dallas