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I good addition or substitute for a Protein shake would be Dr. Weiner's SET POINT smoothie. The more of these you drink, the more weight you lose and the healthier you become. The main ingredients are baby spinach, kale, dandelion greens, and apple or pineapple. You can use frozen fruit and a spice like ginger root can be added to suppress the appetite. The focus with these smoothies is eating whole, unprocessed foods rather than fake Protein shakes. Personally, I do both. There will come a day when I stop my Protein Shake, but it is my daily Breakfast for now. SET POINT SMOOTHIE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MxZYAwzPuk (leafy greens, fruit, spice) A BETTER PROTEIN SHAKE (20-30 protein grams) http://drmatthewweiner.com/a-better-protein-shake/ ******this shake in particular would be a good substitute for your ice cream shake. Since it doesn't use Protein powder at all, you don't have to worry about that nasty powder aftertaste. It uses low fat or greek yogurt, natural Peanut Butter (PB2), and a banana. The result is a healthy shake with 20-30 grams of protein. Watch the video above for more info. Homemade Set Point Smoothies are a better option to drive weight loss than commercially available smoothies. By introducing real whole foods you can increase your phytonutrient intake which helps improve your overall health and drive and maintain weight loss. This video provides tips and tricks to making a better tasting and more nutrient dense smoothie without spending a ton of time in the kitchen. Dr. Matthew Weiner is an author and bariatric surgeon who offers both surgical and nonsurgical weight loss solutions. Through his surgical practice, Dr. Weiner made a groundbreaking, nonsurgical, dietary discovery. In his book, A Pound of Cure, he shares his style of eating which mimics the changes that occur directly after undergoing bariatric surgery. For more information call his office at 248-413-2670. Or, log onto www.drmatthewweiner.com Or, www.facebook.com/APoundofCure DR. WEINER'S SET POINT SMOOTHIE *lots of kale *1 inch of ginger root *3-4 pineapple spears *5-6 ice cubes *2-3 oz Water Blend in a blender, not a juicer DR. WEINER'S "BETTER PROTEIN SHAKE" *1 cup low fat plain yogurt (greek yogurt can be used) *1 banana *4 tablespoons of PB 2 or natural peanut butter 20-30 grams per 12 oz serving

Unless you develop an eating disorder (see @@miller1109 's post above), it's quite simple. Every few days or every week or so you just eat an extra 100 calories ... until you stop losing. For those who don't track their calories / macronutrients / food using a tool like My Fitness Pal and who don't really know how much they're eating, it can be challenging. But even they can add a handful of nuts to their daily menus or an extra Greek yogurt or some bread at dinner. For me, the challenge in maintenance has been to eat a little more nutritious food and not just over-processed foods. I have so learned to appreciate since I was sleeved which foods are full of nutrition and which are full of ingredients that just make me crave sugary, high-carb, over-processed crap. Slider foods will push all your craving buttons, making you struggle not to regain.

@@Thinside Yeah yogurt is always weird to me. Siggi's is the brand I eat, it's for the lowest carb count of any I've seen. I like the peach flavor and its 12 carbs and 14 or 15 protein I think

@@rgodfrey09, thanks. I am eating the Quest mixed berry bar, but not very often. (Usually on the days I work 14 hours, when I find it harder to fit in a meal and eat the bar when driving between jobs.) My favorite yogurt, Oikos Triple Zero Greek, has 15 grams, but also has 15 grams of Protein. Such a dilemma! Should I eat it or shouldn't I? This eating healthy thing is hard work!

Thank you Kate. I feel a bit better each day. Today I graduate to milk, thinned yogurt, creamed (and blended) soups. My hubby is a little too gleeful about giving me the blood thinner shots each morning LOL He's taking good care of me.

I was sleeved july 11. I've lost 35 lbs. I have been in a stall for a few weeks but am trying to stay positive. I'm working out 5-6 times a week. It's amazing how much easier it is without those extra 35 lbs!! My daily Breakfast is a Protein shake. I just can't get my protein in otherwise. I eat a lot of chicken breast but am trying all sorts of new recipes to make sure I don't get bored. Snacks are usually greek yogurt. Tuna is a go to for me as well. 0 My Multivitamin makes me feel nauseous for about 15 minutes afterward. Not fun but it's a small price to pay.

Sleeved on July 23, lost 37 lbs since surgery, plus 16 on the pre op diet, so 53 total. I'm cleared to eat everything. Having lots of yogurt, chicken, tuna, Protein bars, some veggies (canned mostly), string cheese, non fat lattes, just started drinking coffee with cream, Peanut Butter, Isopure Protein drinks too, getting about 70 grams protein a day. No bread, Pasta or rice. Sporadic exercise, walking mostly.

Yeah, I usually do a mid morning snack of a greek yogurt and a mid afternoon snack of some string cheese or another yogurt or some cottage cheese. I don't think you are getting enough protein in. You could do a protein shake, too, instead of the yogurt. But, as someone else said, try a little more dense protein such as chicken or whatever.

My go-to in this phase was tuna salad and chicken salad. I'd make them both like normal but use Greek yogurt instead of mayo then pulse it in my Magic bullet until it was blended. I also love chili so I'd make a pot for the family and just blend it till the chunks were gone. I don't really have recipes but I can tell you what I put into it. :-)

Minxie...im only 1.5 weeks out and ive heard of this stall several times. It happens at 3 weeks then could happen every time your diet changes ex: from liquid to pureed, pureed to soft etc...I think jus tkeep doing your plan and it eventually breaks. I have also heard atkins shakes aren't the best and too much fruit could be sabotaging yourself. I drink premier Protein shakes and am only on full liquids so no fruit for me yet. I think you are supposed to be getting 60-80 grams protein and 64 oz fluid ...always protein first...so maybe eat the yogurt or cottage cheese then the fruit if you need more. As I said I am new to this as well so following your specific plan is best. There is also a facebook group that is closed and no one can see your posts...its called baratric eating support, I have found this very helpful as I learn day by day!! Good luck in your journey!!

I would eat the red Beans without the rice. In fact one of my favorite meals is beans topped with a sunny side up egg. Good Protein, plenty of Fiber and filling. You should check with your nutritionist. I could have grits once I hit purees, but I didn't do it often because there's not a lot of protein in it and it wasn't worth it to me. I made my own bean Soups because they were allowed during all liquids. I puree cooked beans then strain out the skins. If I needed to I'd thin it out with a little vegetable broth. I'd serve it with a tiny bit of Fage 0% greek yogurt (similar in taste/texture to sour cream) or a sprinkling of shredded cheese.

I've been Vegetarian for 6 years now and eat eggs and cheese too. On very rare occasions I will have a little seafood, but it is maybe once or twice a year. There are so many fabulous vegetarian recipes out there and great replacement foods that you will really enjoy! I love love love spicy black bean burgers, Bocca chicken patties, and Morning Star Breakfast sausage. For Protein, I try to get in 60-90 grams each day. I start my day with a scoop of GENEPRO protein powder in my coffee which is 30 so that's a big head start... then here's other vegetarian protein sources: Protein powders/shakes Soy products Mozzarella Cheese Cottage Cheese Eggs Greek Yogurt Milk, Soy Milk, Almond Milk Nuts Beans Lentils Edamame Oats Barley Artichokes Asparagus Broccoli Peas Brussel Sprouts Kale Corn ..and smaller amounts in bell peppers, carrots, green beans, cauliflower, mushrooms, and sweet potatoes. Thank you for considering the lives of our animal friends... not food. ***Also When I first start eating veggie I literally just didn't know what to make, so I thought it might help to know what a typical day looks like... so here's what I ate today: Coffee w/Genepro Breakfast: Hardboiled egg, Morningstar sausage patty (pre-cooked and ate in the car on the way to work) Lunch: Leftover vegetarian chili Snack: Cottage cheese and carrot sticks Snack: Almonds Dinner: I'm making Black bean tostada...(Just like regular ones, except I use black beans cooked with taco seasoning as the base) I also have a sugar free vanilla pudding in the fridge for later

I don't do supplements, but I do make sure to have Protein at least 30 minutes before working out and immediately after. I also try to have the bulk of my carbs then as well. However I only do complex carbs. My typical workout routine is a protein shake with 1 scoop of Protein powder, ¼ - ½ cup of Fage 0% greek yogurt and whatever mixins I feel like. Sometimes that a tablespoon of almond butter, sometimes a ¼ cup of fruit like pineapples, strawberries or peaches, or a ½ and orange. Depending on my mood I may add some flax powder for added Fiber, or a handful of raw spinach or ¼ cup if frozen. I add enough Water to mix and toss the whole thing in the nutrabullet. Often I end up drinking half before I workout and the other half post workout. My morning workout is and hour of aquafit and 30 minutes run/walking in the pool. This also counts as my Breakfast. After this I drink water until it's time for lunch. I get in 30 - 38 gms of protein this way.

@@Kristin Irvine it is hard! I had my surgery August 5 too. I'm still having to supplement with Protein powders or drinks to get enough. I put protein in my Water -- either part of a New whey bullet or 1/2 a package of unjury strawberry with some Crystal light. I get really full on things like grilled salmon or tuna steaks (I'm a pescatarian -- don't eat read meat, pork, or poultry.) So, I'm eating a lot of those foil pouches of tuna, which are packed with protein. I have one of those almost every day for lunch or cottage cheese, which is another good source for me, and of course Greek yogurt. And tofu. I'm weird, I know, but I love tofu, and it's really easy for me to digest. Are you following the rule to eat protein first? That's the most important thing, I find. That way, I don't fill up on other foods first. (As a result, I'm probably not getting enough Fiber. Sigh.)

I was sleeved on 8/24/15 with a starting weight of 261. I went in for a post op visit on 9/05/15 and weighed in at 245. I have weighed myself every 3 days ever since then, and a few times my weight has gone UP! And now, almost two weeks later, I'm only down two pounds! I'm just really confused. I tried to leave a message with my doctor's office but its 4 pm on a Friday, so hearing back from them in order to ease my mind before the weekend is a pipe dream if I ever heard one. My question is, is it possible to be losing inches and visibly looking like I"m losing weight when really my scale is 'barely moving'? I'm concerned because I was told in the first couple months, the weight would be falling off. I've been following my surgeon's food plan which, according to other forums I've read tends to be one of the stricter diets. I did 2 weeks of low carb before surgery, 2 weeks of liquid after, and I'm now about 2 weeks into pureed food. I do a lot of Protein additives into fruit mixes with plain yogurt as the base. I also do a lot of atkins Protein shakes. I'm not doing that great on my Water intake, and I feel like maybe my body is holding on to water and thus water weight. I'm only experiencing BMs about once every 3 days. At my last visit, they told me having a BM only about once every 2-3 days is fairly normal... but sometimes I'm not sure if it is. Please give me your two cents because I really am concerned with my results thus far.

I would say that if you are on purees, go with some greek yogurt (or otherwise nonfat yogurt) and throw some protein powder and fresh fruit (not the sugary stuff that comes pre-made with the yogurt) in as a healthy parfait. There are also some great recipes out there for making pancakes out of egg whites and crumbled protein bars. The resulting food shouldn't be a problem as to texture, although double check with your nutritionist.

Hey Always Smiling! How's it going? I went back to work yesterday and only made it to 1:30. So freaking tired. Today I went back and left on purpose at 1:30. Still really tired and hoping I do better next week. Thank goodness my employer is very understanding!! I also tried the next stage of foods. Omg!! Cottage cheese is gross!!! Lmao!! So I'll stick with the Greek yogurt, not much better! Good luck to all!!! Best, Crash2015

I have not had any menstrual bleeding but I did read in a thread that many people do have it close to surgery no matter when they had it before. My surgeon only allows Clear liquids for the first week. So broth and sugar free Jello for me. I have Fluid recommendations of 32 oz daily for the first week and working up to 64. I am getting 32 but not a bit more yet. Next week I start Protein. I have Atkins dark chocolate shakes, Premier Protein vanilla, several flavors of Isopure clear drinks and some isopure unflavored I figured I could add to broth. I can also have Greek yogurt without fruit when I start the next phase. Not until I see my doctor on Wednesday though. How much are you getting in? Are you close to your doctors recommendations

I know everyone's experiences are different, but Day 3 was a major breakthrough for me. The first two days it seemed like my sleeve was very temperamental and really didn't want me to even sip very much. However, as of this morning (day 3 post-op) I seem to be able to consume about as much liquid as I need, provided it is in small sips. Today was my first approach at anything of nutritional value. Tried some yogurt for Breakfast, and some cream of chicken Soup (with no solids) for lunch. I was able to get about 3-4 tablespoons of each down before my sleeve told me it was full. Plus a few ounces of Protein shake in between. Im surprised at the different just one day makes. Incisions are also healing well. The only one providing pain is the large one where the stomach was excised. It feels painful and the area seems swollen almost as though it is bruised.

One thing I learned early on when I discovered this forum was that the participants could safely hide behind their anonymity, and that opinions and tact will vary. Before I gave up on yo-yo dieting, I would have ice cream every night at bedtime. It is just one of those things that I will probably never approach again because of instant downfall. What I ended up doing was blending ricotta cheese and Greek vanilla yogurt with some artificial sweetener and use that as a base for my Protein shakes. However, there are those among us whose nutritionists advise against use of any artificial sweetener....so what are we to do? I just follow the plan I was given and use others' suggestions here as inspiration for modifying their recipes to fit my plan. Some use almond milk. My NUT wants me to use real dairy milk. She also does not want me to have a shake every day, but I would if I there were no restriction. It's an easy energy source for me. My suggestion is to follow your plan and not get too bent out of shape if someone else's plan is different.

Hi! So I'm excited yet so nervous I'm about to start the purée stage of my program. I received a week by week packet but it is very vague. I know a lot of it is a gamble because everyone is different, but I'm looking for suggestions on things and brands you may have tried during this period. On my list is said yogurt, puréed soup, scrambled eggs, and cottage cheese. Any advice anyone would like to share would be greatly appreciated!! ????????????

I'm with you. I was also sleeved on the 15th. I read and studied enough that I knew what to expect, but it never really registered to me before surgery just how little you can really take in the first few days. My surgeon's plan has me just today starting on some yogurt, skim milk, oatmeal or applesauce. As little Water as I've been able to get in I am waiting to see how this works. Good luck on your journey!

I go through days like I am so hungry and feel like I've eaten all day, and then others where I forget to eat and still feel full. Not sick or anything. I realized though that on the days where I feel I've eaten a lot; I have probably only eaten a small portion. Some days I just buy food but don't eat it. It's like an old habit/compulsion. I'll go to Bojangles and buy 2 wings and a sweet tea, or buy a kitkat or last week went to mcdonalds and bought a french fry and a hot fudge Sunday. At Panera, I might buy a scone, coffee, and Mac and cheese. As soon as I try a bite of any of these things, I'm satisfied (or repulsed) and I bring them home to my husband or the trash. I ate a salad for lunch today and picked up a cookie on the way out off of a salad/dessert buffet and brought it home. I guess I'm doing this as a "I used to love these!" Kind of deals, but it's so weird. And costly. If I do try to force myself to take a bite of say fried chicken or Mac and cheese, my stomach rebels as soon as it's in my mouth and can't swallow and I immediately want something cold and clean like watermelon or water. It's not even a head hunger or craving that makes me buy. I think it's habit. But then I'm like, what the heck? I don't even want this! I'll throw whole sandwiches in the trash or give them to the guys at work. (Who are vultures and like that I'm on a 'diet' so they can eat my food.) I don't do this a lot, but maybe once a week. It's like a comfortable blanket to just have it near me I think. I once had an eclair in the fridge for over a month and my daughter asked me if she could throw it out and I told her no. She asked why, bc it was practically moldy, and I told her that I like it there. Later, I wondered why. Is it bc when I open the fridge and take out a yogurt that I actually "chose" the yogurt over the eclair? Is it a reminder of where I've been, or of something I used to love and want it there like a blankie to reassure me? I think I like looking at it sitting there, and I smile to myself and shut the door. Like, "you don't have power over me anymore!! See, I don't need you!" Idk. A psychologist might have a field day with me but I feel like I did when I was having food funerals, only I was sad then and powerful now. On most days I eat a protein bar on the way to work or a yogurt, a cheese stick as a snack, chicken with nuts and fruit for lunch and then maybe a protein shake for a second snack. For dinner, I eat maybe taco salad, a cup of chili, or chicken salad. Something lighter so I don't feel heavy when I go to bed. Plus I'm not usually hungry by then. Watermelon, berries (all kinds) and cantelope are my daily friends. That's where I am on this 11th month, still trying to honestly understand my relationship with AND without food.

Go on a tasting spree. If you can go to brick and mortar store. Buy 1 bottle of Isopure. (I like the Green Tea, Black Tea & Coconut.) Try a few single serving packs. I actually like the CVS whey in vanilla. I use it instead of cream in my coffee. There's a company on line that sells a sample pack. Everyone's taste is different, you have to see what you like. With most brick and mortar store you can return any unused portion with a receipt so save your receipts. I like using the Isopure unflavored and making my own drinks in the nutra bullet. I add a bit of fruit, a bit of spinach, some plain greek yogurt. That works for me. I also keep one or two cartoons of Orgain for on the go days. I like the Isopure because they are clear and I can dilute the in my Water. I'm mostly okay with plain water but sometimes I want to switch up. 2 weeks before my surgery I went on a tasting spree and sampled loads of Protein powder, drinks and water. I then only bought enough to last 2 weeks postop in case my taste buds changed. FYI - I also prefer GNC to Vitamin Shoppe. The membership is worth it in terms of the coupons and discounts you get.

I just had my surgery Tuesday & just got home yesterday, so I am by no means well experienced in this and I have yet to start on pureed foods myself, but I just have to cringe at the thought of attempting taco sauce, buffalo sauce and chili so soon after surgery. You must remember that half of your stomach has just been cut away and anything spicy could just be pouring the proverbial salt on the wound. I know everyone is different but you will have just gone through a major surgery and must be gentle on your newly cut stomach. My nutritionist said no spicy or tomato based foods for at least about 2 months. We need to start slowly, with the easiest things your stomach can handle first and work your way up as your body can tolerate. My thought is that several of these items mentioned is in no way going to be easy enough on you poor delicate tummy this early out. Also, the high fat foods, cheese, mayo (except for maybe some low-fat versions), will also wreak havoc on the tummy's and is exactly what we're supposed to be staying away from. I also can't imagine having Beans this early out especially for anyone having gas issues. It's definitely not going to be easy and we're in this for the long haul, but the point of going through all of this is so that it will be worth it! (From my Nutritionist) Suggested Pureed Foods: Very thin Cream of Wheat (my NUT said oatmeal is still a little to fibrous at this point) Pureed cream soups/split pea soup (blended totally smooth, no chunks) S/F low-fat yogurt (I thin down thick Greek yogurt with a little milk) Blended cottage cheese (I will be trying this with some pureed S/F peaches) S/F Applesauce S/F pudding Baby food (if your desperate but some of the fruit ones are quite good) Work your way up to heavier mashed items like: Soft scrambled egg Mashed potatoes (avoid butter) Mashed canned chicken or tuna (can mash it with some avocado) Mashed banana Pureed soft vegetables or fruits (avoid broccoli & cauliflower 4 wk's - too gas producing) Mashed turkey meatballs or mashed moist chicken (red meat is often not tolerated well, use caution) Refried beans (don't use if you are experiencing gas pains) AVOID 6-12 weeks Spicy foods/salsa Tomato/acidic foods Rice/pasta/bread Celery Whole beans Corn Seeds & Nuts (12+ weeks) Caffeine (4+ weeks, acts as a diuretic) Gas producing vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, onions, cabbage - 4 weeks) Soda's & carbonated beverages (even S/F) should be eliminated permanently. I hope some of this helps! I wish you the best with your surgery!