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I went through the same thing at about six months. I needed to start drinking a lot more. My Dr also told me to eat things of substance cuz the foods I was eating like yogurt and granola wasn't staying with me. So I changed m breakfast to eggs and snacked on almonds when I felt hungry and it really helped. Good luck to you:)

Before surgery I like premier protein, EAS and pure protein but boy after surgery the pre made drinks made me sick way to sweet. I did find Unjury chocolate splendor powder after surgery and that is my go to now. In my liquid stage I had sugar free Popsicles, cream of broccoli soup (no chunks), decaf tea and coffee, applesauce and yogurt. I also got some crystal light, mio to flavor my water. This helped me get down my fluids easier as it didn't feel like I was always drinking water.

Yep. I have way way more trouble with yogurt (and ice cream) than I do with steak. I hardly ever eat yogurt. I cant eat any sort of tinned or pureed fruit either and I cant do fruit juice. Orange juice, apple juice, it all gets stuck.

Full liquids are still liquids-- the only difference is that you can't see through them. I ate soup with no chunks-- tomato soup, butternut squash soup, broccoli cheese soup (where the broccoli was too small to chew). Yogurt and Protein shakes I think were considered Clear Liquids by my doctor. But that was it. Mushies for me added in refried Beans, chili that was blended until it didn't require chewing, mashed potatoes, cottage cheese (I made a ricotta cheese/cottage cheese seasoned base with marinara on top, baked, that was good and suggested on this board). I think I also did a baked "quiche" at this stage-- beaten egg with cottage cheese, baked. You need to check with your doctor's office. I can't believe there are still surgeons sending people home without detailed diet lists. If you haven't already, recheck any paperwork you got from your support staff to see if it contains directions on your diet. As for the Cheetos Puffs-- well, I wouldn't add them back in for at least 6 months. Don't get me wrong-- I think people can have non-nutritious food on occasion and be fine. However, I worry that if you're really concerned about how soon you can eat something that has ZERO nutritional benefit after having weight loss surgery, that you are setting yourself up to struggle to lose. But if you want to kickstart your loss even before your band begins to help you, I'd commit to healthy eating. You can always add the treats back in later after you've developed some new habits.

Hello Bandsters! Im new to this forums and Im glad I found it. I started reading some of the posts and I decided to make my own account. I know I will be here for a while lol! First Hello to June 2011 Bandsters! I got banded on: 06-14-11 and I am on my 8th day. I did the 1-3 day clear liquid and started yogurt on the fourth day.. I hope the yogurt is not too early. I want to know if anyone can give me suggestions of yummy food that I can eat now... like recipes, what kind of Soups, blended food, etc. Im supposed to be on full liquid diet for two weeks. So far I have already lost 5 lbs and Im soooo happy! And last question, When can I eat cheetos puff? Cause I loooove cheetos puff! Im so excited to know what you are all gonna say... Thanks in Advance!

I find it hard to count being on full liquids. So I am just following what dietician gave me. Cream of wheat for breakfast with skim milk Yogurt and protein shake somewhere in between Dinner cream soup

I like to keep it simple. 1. Cottage cheese (or yogurt) and fruit 2. black beans and sweet potato 3. Spinach and banana smoothie

Maybe you aren't following the rules close enough. Something as little as an extra healthy snack several times last week affected my ability to lose that week. I woudn't worry about what time you do things. The space between your meals is far more critical. Never let your body get hungry before you eat, make healthy food choices, always eat your Proteins first & don't have your beverages until at least a half hour after you eat. This is what I do: Love’s Meals I eat no more than 1 cup of food every 3-4 waking hours. Breakfast @ 11:00am: - 1 egg scrambled with 1 ounce of cheddar cheese & some chopped black forest ham - 1 packet instant oatmeal (flavoured, or natural + 1 tsp honey) with skim milk, 1 ½ tbsp raisins, 1 tbsp toasted wheat germ, & 1 ½ tbsp ground almonds or walnuts Snack @ 12:30pm: - 1 cup plastic juice box of apple or orange juice - a small can of original V8 lunch @ 2:00 or 3:00pm: - a High Protein vanilla Boost dinner @ 6:00 or 7:00pm: One pot meals frozen in 1 cup containers: - chilli, made with ground turkey - spaghetti sauce, made with ground turkey, & a bit of macaroni - sheppard’s pie, made with ground turkey - beef stew - Canadian bacon & potato stew - chicken dishes made with a little rice or Pasta & light cream of broccoli or chicken Soup - Kraft dish made with chicken, corn, salsa & cheese Evening Snack @ 10:00pm: - 1 cup Silhouette cherry yogurt - 1/3 container of fat free cottage cheese with tuna salad, 1 cup total - 1/3 container of fat free cottage cheese with fresh or canned fruit, 1 cup total - 2 rye crisps with 2 tbsp hummus - 2 rye crisps with 2 tbsp almond butter - 2 rye crisps with 2 tbsp guacamole - 2 tbsp Peanut Butter - a hard boiled egg - ½ cup almonds or walnuts - a ‘baked’ apple - cored apple stuffed with 1 tbsp raisins & lemon juice - 1 oz light cream cheese wrapped in 1 oz smoked salmon - 2 oz cheddar cheese I take a chewable Centrum or Flinstone’s multi-vitamin & liquid Calcium / magnesium after breakfast & a chewable Vitamin C after my evening snack. I try to get 4-8 oz. Water in first thing in the morning, on the drive to & from work, & before bed. I am only getting in about half of what I'd guzzle pre-band. I work out during Coronation Street. Since I hate exercise, I need something to distract my while I do it. :thumbdown: I find keeping to a routine in my day ready helps. Having meals ready also keeps me from thinking about what I am going to be eating that night, all day. I sent this to my nutritionist this week & she thought it was just fabulous.

Ah Cookies. Me too Denise. I will never have a normal relationship with sugary carbs. I could live on them, quite happily. Unfortunately, they go down really easily. What I find helps me (and is this normal? Probably not!) is that every morning, I set out on the bench the 2 pieces of fruit, the carton of yogurt, the 4 bottles of Water, and the five different vegetables I am going to get through that day. The veges I can put aside in the fridge -- usually have some in a sandwich for lunch and several steamed for dinner. I make a pact with myself that the fruit, yogurt and water is to be eaten FIRST whenever I get picky. I usually find if I do that, I can control the cravings for cookies that strikes at 11 am. And contrary to my previous beliefs about water, I do indeed find chugging down half a litre of water if I feel like eating something really DOES quell the urge a lot of the time. If I have to play mind games like this with myself I doubt I could be called normal, but oh well, if it keeps me healthy I'm happy enough with it.

Thanks so much. I am aware of GI. as I had stated I have been doing well preop and post op. I dont eat biscuits or bread etc. I buy whole wheat high fiber flat outs and tortillas and only have them with soy nut butter and sugar free preserves. I think youre right though, me messing with candy this past wknd and other stuff just got the hunger bug going. I will be giving candy away ASAP and I need to bring lunch to work like I did yesterday, which kept me from overeating. Also I am going to probably going to cook again tonite or tomorrow which will also limit my binging. I hope what you say is true that the band may tighten after 2 weeks. I have appt with my nutritionist in the morning and I will disucss with her as well. Usually I have snacks with no less than 5 grams protein around house and work such as yoplait thick and creamy light yogurt, chobani, wraps, soy nut butter etc.

The sheet they gave me says full liquds/mushies on the page that lists the foods I listed above. I think they consider full liquids and mushies to be the same. On my first phase of liquids, I got pudding, yogurt and baby food fruit. Seems to me those would be more mushies than liquids. I don't know.....doesn't matter, I was just curious.

I went to a support meeting last night, and talked about this a little. I felt like eating today, and when I came home from work, I just went on the treadmill for 25 minutes, and I pushed myself harder than I have been. It helped because I put the energy I spent on thinking about food in to the walking, and I did fine. I also ate a little something every couple of hours--some sugarfree jello, fruit, (I don't like yogurt) and sugar free pudding. And water, water, water. One day at a time, sometimes one minute at a time, I'll get through this. It really is a roller coaster! Debbie

I think Oz did an Ok job and seemed to have changed his mind since a few years ago. I agree.....six months out and she is eating 4 spoons of yogurt for lunch? I am 3 weeks out and eat more than that. Did anyone notice neither banded woman had a Breakfast? I also agree that doing this sooner rather than later is a wise choice.

I agree with much of what you've posted. I, however, was not disappointed by my band at first because my experience (the typical being hungry/feeling like I was dieting/feeling as though I didn't have a band) was something I had been well-prepared for. I expected it, and expected it to be time-limited. Obesity occurs for many different reasons, and food addiction is only one of them. I do come from a family of alcoholics and addicts, however. Those who have successfully achieved sobriety accept the prevalence of their drug(s) of choice in society, and accept personal responsibility for their sobriety. It is difficult---but they do it. I understand your stance about advertising, but the fact of the matter is that food addicts, like other addicts, must take responsibility for their choices. Cigarette advertising was banned because the risks of smoking became incontrovertible, and there are absolutely NO benefits. Food is required for life; banning its advertisement simply will not occur. Yes, obesity is an enormous public health issue. The key isn't removing food advertisements from television. The key is education---teaching children, from a very young age, how to properly nourish their bodies. Teaching them that advertising, in general, is not geared toward their best interests, but simply to sell things they don't need. Re-educating ourselves and taking back our power, in the form of personal responsibility, is crucial for those of us who've lost our way. For those of us who've already fallen prey to obesity, personal responsibility is key. Would I like to see HFCS removed from foods? Absolutely. Since that's not happening, I don't purchase foods that contain them. I don't purchase foods that contain transfats. I cook from scratch. When I eat out, I order very carefully. Personal choice and personal responsibility are priceless. Yes, food addiction is a problem for many. And commercials really do stimulate appetite---there are evil geniuses who know exactly what buttons to push. But they don't put the car keys into anyone's hand, or drive them through the drive-through. Food addiction differs in one very crucial way from other addictions: the physical component of the addiction is just completely different. The body does not require the crap in order to function, as occurs with alcoholism or drug addiction. A carton of yogurt is as apt to produce physical satisfaction as a Big Mac. So the responsibility lies with the individual to make the right choices. Regarding malnutrition related to the band, this too is largely a matter of personal choice and responsibility. A properly adjusted band permits adequate nutrition, if the person who is banded makes appropriate food choices and, as good measure, takes a Multivitamin. We don't experience the malabsorption characteristic of other surgeries---in the absence of band complication, we have the ability to make choices that properly nourish our bodies.

Labrada Rock 'n Roll nutty peanut bars are good--and pack a good Protein punch (20 g/bar, I think; I can only eat half a bar at a time) Nuts are a good choice--low carb, though more of a fat than a protein I think you'll probably find it pretty easy to find "safe" Snacks on the go---I'd pack a pouch of PURE unflavored protein to stir into things like yogurt, which you can pick up in any concession place or corner store.

Wow, your pre-op diet is nice. Mine was full liquids for two weeks. Nothing but Protein shakes, crystal light, only greek yogurt and that was only every few days, sugar free popcicles and sugar free pudding. I am VERY glad I did it though because it made a HUGE difference after surgery. I got all of my withdrawls out of the way within the first four days of the pre-op diet. Since you will be on liquids for a minimum of one week (some surgeons require two or more) before you are allowed mushies the liquid diet before surgery makes a nice transition. Once you get past the first four or five days things are much easier. Just stick to it. I found the afternoons were much harder than any other time of the day so I chewed a TON of gum and had to shake up my routine at work. You can do it! Congrats on your upcoming surgery. You will not regret it at all. You'll look back on the two weeks you were on the pre-op diet and think nothing of them.

Make sure none of your regular meds are extended release or sustained release, if they are, have your doctor write new Rx. Get a pill crusher for the meds you take, and mix the crushed meds with sugar free pudding. I find that boullion and V-8 juice taste pretty good after all the sweet stuff I have been eating! oatmeal and Cream of Wheat (both thinned with skim milk) are good to have on hand. Low fat yogurt, too. My doctor had me on liquids for 2 weeks before surgery and 2 weeks after surgery ... tomorrow is the end of those 4 weeks!

I am 2 weeks banded today and yesterday I had one of those days too. My stomach hurts when I sit at my desk for 9 hours. I was exhausted although I am getting in 2 Protein shakes (20 grams protein each) and mixing them each with .5 cup of Water and .5 cup of milk and adding my powdered Vitamins (7 grams protein) for a minimum of 54 grams of protein before I add in my food. When I was talking with my sister who had ryn surgery 2 years ago, she said my body is still adjusting to a reduced level of intake and that may be the cause for exhaustion. She also told me to watch for a big weight loss soon. Okay - I weighed this morning and I am down 3.8 pounds from 2 days ago. (After a 5 day stand still). I am using the flavored whey protein and mixing it with different things. I might add yogurt, milk, soy milk, or coffee to it. Getting water is critical for me. Hope some of this helps. Good luck and I hope you start feeling better.

Hi Jason ! I was banded 3/21. as well. My "get out of jail" date, as I'm no longer a prisoner of food....I feel great ! Some soreness for the f irst few days, but I'm no longer even on pain meds....I'm envious that you had a short pre-op and post-op liquids phase....mine was liquids for 10 days pre-op and 7-10 days post-op...I lasted until post-op day #7 and then had cream of wheat, light yogurt and grits...on day # 14 I can have scrambled eggs, tuna with mayo...it will seem like prime rib ! I feel so excited about starting my new life and look forward to a substantial and sustained weight loss. Are you physically active, or wish to be? Good luck to you ! :clap2:

Cooking, Baking and recipes - LAP-BAND There's some good ideas in there. I think with weightloss most of the time comes with preparation of food though - eating pre-packaged non-fresh foods can lead you to trouble. I personally eat a lot of oranges, and 'For me' yogurt, which contains only 70 calories for a 175g tub. Baby food is good too! Just don't get the savoury ones - they're pretty gross.

My soft protein phase included greek yogurt, eggs, cottage cheese, canned tuna, canned chicken, and lots of fresh fish. I can't imagine eating baby food with so many other choices available. I may have misunderstood and you might be talking about the mushie stage. I did not have that stage in my diet plan. I went from liquids to the "soft protein" stage.

Well since my last fill I have been very tight in the mornings and am only able to get down liquids and maybe some yogurt. I can finally eat around noon if I have been up and about but if I sleep in or lounge around then I can't eat until much later, maybe 2 or 3.

I have different types of cheeses (string, colby/cheddar stick, mini babybel, and (my favorite) some fancy cheddar with some red pepper in it) Almonds (sometimes I roast them, like this: https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/chipotle-roasted-almonds-paleo-vegan/) Milk (sometimes with cocoa powder and stevia, like a hot chocolate) Yogurt, cottage cheese Parm crisps (fairly rare, but nice for the crunch) (sometimes with a bit of guac or hummus) Veg with hummus (usually carrots or bell peppers)

hi , i was banded april 26 and so far so good. practically no pain but i am hungry since post op day 3. i just keep drinking protien drinks ( atkins) yogurt and cream Soups. i just keep telling myself this too shall pass. i have been lurking on this site for months now since i started thinking about getting the lap band. i want to be a part of it now and share with all. this is a wonderful place to go for support and fellowship. thanks height 5feet 5 inches 275/265/140

I have an idea for you. Mayo has about 100 calories per Tbs. That would be fine it it had more Protein, but it's all fat. Try this that I learned from TheworldaccordingtoEggface.com: Mix plain Greek yogurt with just about anything (avocado, blue cheese, caramelized onions, roasted red peppers, etc) and add it to your meats as a dip or like chicken salad. It will add a LOT of protein and cut the calories by as much as 80% I think. Today I had some grape tomatoes and the Greek yogurt avocado mix. It made THE BEST little salad and it was protein packed.