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Thanks so much again ladies! I am going for a walk after lunch. I sat outside this morning with my decaf tea and yogurt and you were right @@Inner Surfer Girl, the fresh air and sunshine helps. I haven't tried driving anywhere yet since being off the major pain meds and I'm starting to get a little cabin fever so I am just going to get out of the house today, even if just to the park down the road to walk because it's so beautiful. I will not give up or give in!! My good friend and mentor tells me being unhealthy and overweight is hard, getting through this process and getting my life back is hard. Every day you just have to pick your hard!

Hey All! My surgery was 9/2 and I'm 6 days post op. Been sleeping off and on all day. No energy at all. This morning, I was able to eat 1 Oz of yogurt and 1 Oz of sugar free jello. It's like I can feel it traveling down through my chest...I feel some tightness and pressure...then to the my sleeve and a gurgle comes on. I haven't thrown up at all. Just wondering if anyone else is on my timeline and is experiencing this same thing? To date, all I've had is water, chicken broth, jello, a tiny bit of yogurt which I won't do again, isopure and powerade zero. Premier protein is too thick. When will things start going down without it feeling uncomfortable???

I haven't tried ice chips yet, I should probably give it a try. I'm doing okay with broth, but theres only so much I can take of the taste xD, as for the yogurt and oatmeal is that during the liquid stage or the Puree stage? but yeah we just need to hang in there, We will reach our goals! According to my lil plan, yogurt and cream of wheat is something I can start now...but there's no way. If I can't even do the Protein drinks, how the heck can I do yogurt and cream of wheat ???? ... ice chips help me get fluids in. let me know how u do.

I haven't tried ice chips yet, I should probably give it a try. I'm doing okay with broth, but theres only so much I can take of the taste xD, as for the yogurt and oatmeal is that during the liquid stage or the Puree stage? but yeah we just need to hang in there, We will reach our goals!

I never could tolerate Protein shakes and new i would have a problem...bought the premere at costco and drank one and said hell no and returned the case. i've tried so many and i hate them all! i have now resorted to slim fast with 1.5 cups of milk and 2 tbsp greek yogurt to dull the sweetness. the total protein comes in at just over 30 grams. 1 a day is all i can handle. i have started eating low fat ricotta cheese with a tiny drop of tomato sauce, it has saved my life! it actually makes me happy to have 2 tbsp of that and i eat it lunch and dinner.

I have eaten a smoothie with berries, protein powder, almond milk and yogurt for breakfast. I also put nature's way super greens powder in as well so I am getting some veg and then protein all day. Exercise wise I started doing weights to keep my muscle mass up. I have only lost 2kg of muscle. I have just started running and cycling.

I'm in the same boat!! I can't get up and down from our bed. Laying flat is excruciating when I try to get up. I can't lay on my sides. What I found helped was putting a couple pillows down on a recliner and sitting on those and reclining back. I'm not on a normal sleep schedule either. I'm up 4-5 hours then sleep for about 2. Ice chips have been the easiest for me. Premier protein is way too thick. Isopure has to be diluted and room temp. Chicken broth feels good on my belly....and that's it! I see so many people eating yogurt cream of wheat oatmeal etc and I don't know how the heck they can do it! I'm only getting in maybe 40 oz of liquid...sometimes not even that much. Not nearly enough protein but what else can we do?! I just pray this gets easier and things start going down easier. I tried pudding and I felt like it got stuck in my chest. Just so much pressure...ugh. Feel free to send me messages anytime! we can get through this!

im 2 weeks out and have a complete disgust for Protein drinks if i have to drink another, i will throw it at someone. Tried all of them but now i manage one slim fast scoop with 1.5 cups milk and two tbsp of greek yogurt. This brings the protein to somewhere around 30 grams. Since i could not get my Protein Drink in and i hate cottage cheese, i resorted to low fat ricotta cheese, 2tbsp with salt and a tiny drop of tomato sauce on. i tolerate it well and i have managed to up my protein, not to mention it feels like i ate something worth while! Down 23 and looking forward to eating real protein.

My go to quick and easy meals: Canned tuna or chicken with light mayo, a little celery and green onion, and if I have some, grapes cut into quarters (for the chicken salad) or pickle relish (for the tuna). I usually have about 2-3 whole wheat crackers with this because carbs are not the devil, you just need to avoid refined simple carbs. I also love scrambling an egg with some green onion in, topping with some shredded cheese and a bit of light sour cream or pico/salsa (or both). I also bought cans of refried Beans, put a small amount into a bowl to heat, top with sour cream, cheese and tomatoes/black olives. Oh! And easiest of all - a low carb yogurt. Kroger makes one called "carbmaster" that has some pretty good flavors and around 9 grams of Protein so they're good for a quick and easy meal. I make much more elaborate things now, but those are my fall-back ones when I'm just blanking on what to fix. There are tons of recipes out there (see the links that Kate gave), but honestly it really is just fix things that are high in protein like meats, fish, shrimp, legumes, eggs, cheese and milk if you can tolerate (took me a while to get back to enjoying dairy). Add in some veggies and lastly the complex carb stuff sparingly (no refined simple carbs like crackers and regular Pasta - stick with whole wheat).

Triple Zero Greek yogurt has been a life saver for me as well. 15 grams of protein.

I am actually 4 months post op now. My first week after surgery was Clear liquids. But honestly my new tummy didnt want much else. Your just trying to stay hydrated. Second week I think it took me all day to drink one premier Protein drink. By week 3 I could get in 2 Protein drinks a day. By week 4 I started on soft foods if they were well chewed. I found Greek yogurt was easy to get down. . Talk to your surgeon. Every surgeon seems to have slightly different approaches. If you trust them to do the surgery, trust them on the diet too. . P.s. I still do a premier Protein Drink most weekday morning to make sure I get my protein in. Can't stress enough how important getting the protein in is! That is what is going to make your recovery go better. Your body needs it to repair itself.

What do you mean by dump? Did you have bypass or sleeve? Also, I don't think the Greek yogurt contains lactose. Can you eat a cheese stick? eggs?

If you are eating tuna then it sounds like you are allowed soft foods. Can you eat Greek yogurt or cottage cheese?

I only have a 10 day diet. One week with shakes, SF jello and Popsicles, 2-4oz lean protein and 1/2 cup of steamed veggies. The last 3 days is full liquids. With shakes, broth or no fat yogurt, as well as the Popsicles and jello. My surgery is weds. I did have a couple bites today of food but nothing horrible and not a lot. Literally maybe 3 small bites while I was cooking for a party but I still feel bad because I didn't even realize I did it at first.

I am a super picky, finicky, whiny eater who hated everything already, and it only got worse after surgery. These are some of the things I do to get protein: Fairlife milk (lactose/sugar filtered out, protein/calcium added) mixed with diet hot cocoa mix or sugar free strawberry syrup String cheese Small amounts of vanilla Protein powder mixed with sugarfree vanilla pudding cottage cheese mixed with a tiny amount of tomato sauce (tastes like pasta/lasagna) plain greek yogurt mixed with sugar free strawberry syrup so it tastes more like regular strawberry yogurt rather than that bitter/sour flavor Now that I've been cleared for normal foods again, it honestly isn't changing much since I can't tolerate dense meats and Proteins. I have however bought my first pack of low-carb, high protein chips/pretzels/cereal (10g protein per pack), which I'll try and pack with me when I'm at school/work so I don't completely starve myself. It sucks when your tolerance for most things are low, you've just gotta find things that work for you.

@@meSparkle83 - best section on yogurt is here: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/345838-do-you-eat-yogurt-what-brand-what-sort-of-toppings-do-you-add-to-it/page-6?hl=%2Boikos#entry3897746

Protein shakes made me ill, and I was super picky, so some of the following helped me get closer to protein goals: Fat free fairlife milk (lactose/sugar filtered out, tastes like regular skim milk, fortified with protein/calcium) Fairlife milk mixed with either sugarfree strawberry/chocolate syrup, or served hot with diet cocoa mix Mixing a tablespoon of vanilla Protein powder with sugarfree vanilla pudding (I never added too much because I hated the aftertaste, but it was a good way to still add some protein) cottage cheese with just a tiny spoonful of tomato sauce (tastes like lasagna!) I also used the hershey's sugarfree strawberry syrup and added it to plain greek yogurt to make it taste like regular yogurt I'm seven weeks out, and these things have been a godsend! Soft food stage will open up a lot more options for you. It gets better!

Great to hear you're doing well Bee Girl. I think we all need to get used to enjoying different things now and variety helps a lot. My post op diet is now puree food (from 4 days - 3 weeks post - op) and I'm varying a lot with yogurts, custard, very soft cheese, protein smoothies, puréed casseroles. Variety makes me feel very satisfied. Only if it's a few teaspoons at a time

Hey T. I had my sleeve on the 28th in Australia so pretty close. I have my follow up appointment with the Dr tomorrow and I'm feeling great. Tummy wounds nearly all healed. Yesterday I was out and about most of the day. Had my GP check up, had my nails and eyebrows done, did a bit of shopping. Came home and napped for an hour! Had my first uninterrupted sleep last night. The anaesthetic plays havoc with sleeping patterns I've found. I've been on puree diet since 4 days post op and mostly it's been really good - only about 10 teaspoons of puree casserole for lunch and dinner. Having a shake with fruit and yogurt blended in for breakfast, or porridge. Tried scrambled eggs yesterday - 4 teaspoons and pain - so not yet I think! Great to have a place to compare notes! Yesterday I had lost 7.5kg which is about 16 pounds. That's since I started pre op diet 2 weeks before surgery.

I am 7 weeks out, not loosing slot but I'm OK with that. However, I don't want to eat! Nothing tastes good by the time I chew and savor it's all cold. It's such a chore trying to find protein(i hate lugemuns) when you know you can only get in a few oz. It doesn't add upt to very much. I've done Deli turkey Roll ups, egg salad yogurt chicken chicken chicken......theres not room for anything else so I sit down to a 2-3 of piece of grilled chicken. Boring, popcycles save my life. HELP

Hi everyone! I'm Tina from Ga. Just wondering if there is anyone out there that's s having the same issues as me. I am 17 days postop and I am having a tough time...nothing seems to agree my stomach... I mean nothing I have a tough time with water. Currently down 27 lbs. Every time I drink or eat anything I get this intense pain in my stomach that's lasts for a few minutes. I'm currently on a blenderized diet which for me consists of yogurt, soups....and that's about it. And half the time those are non tolerable. Anyone else having this issue?

@@carmenalivet that sounds great! and youre lucky youre allowed to eat yogurt! im only allowed chobani original no flavor, which tastes like sour cream to me! haha @@ryebread icy orange sounds good, ill have to try that!! let me know how it is! thats awesome!!!!

Do u ever use yogurt?

I am 4 weeks out and am unsure if I should try recipes with allowed foods or just stick with eating each thing on its own? I am nervous about adding spices or other items not listed to create some of those great recipes I've found. What are your thoughts? Any "recipe" suggestions with the foods listed? By the way, my stomach has been pretty grumpy with me for the last several days so unsure if that would make a difference... Thanks! Here is a list of things I am allowed to eat: soft cooked eggs (cooked with no fat) shredded/sliced low fat cheese cottage cheese or ricotta cheese soft tofu cream of wheat, cream of rice, oatmeal fat free refried Beans pureed broth based Soups low fat, low sugar fruited yogurt soft bananas canned tuna soft cooked veggies hummus sugar free pudding *************************************** next week I can add: soft fruits - peeled or canned in juice tomato juice boiled potatoes unsalted crackers Pasta cut into small pieces unsweetened cold cereals spaghetti sauce ground veal, chicken, turkey, fish soft cooked beans/lentils crustless quiche

Happy Labor Day from BariatricPal!#subject#> body,div,dl,dt,dd,ul,ol,li,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6,pre,form,fieldset,input,textarea,p,blockquote,th,td { margin:0; padding:0; } table { border-collapse:collapse; border-spacing:0; } fieldset,img { border:0; } address,caption,cite,code,dfn,th,var { font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; } caption,th { text-align:left; } h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { font-size:100%; font-weight:normal; } q:before,q:after { content:''; } abbr,acronym { border:0; } address{ display: inline; } html, body { background-color: #d8dde8; color: #5a5a5a; } body { font: normal 13px helvetica, arial, sans-serif; position: relative; } h3, strong { font-weight: bold; } em { font-style: italic; } img, .input_check, .input_radio { vertical-align: middle; } legend { display: none; } table { width: 100%; } td { padding: 3px; } a { color: #225985; text-decoration: none; } a:hover { color: #328586; } div.outer { margin: 0 auto; padding: 14px; } table.wrap { max-width: 800px; margin: 0 auto; } td.logo { background-color: #0f3854; padding: 8px; } td.content { background-color: #fff; font-size: 14px !important; color: black !important; line-height: 150% !important; padding: 8px; } ul { margin-left: 25px; } Hey BariatricPal Members, Happy Labor Day! It’s the last official chance to throw a summer party, go to a parade, and if you’re lucky, see a few fireworks. It’s a good chance to make sure you give summer a healthy send-off and you greet autumn with healthy intentions…and that’s what we hope this newsletter does. Here’s what you’ll find. Packing Your Labor Day Picnic Basket Getting Back into the Groove Enjoying the New You – A Reminder Have a great time going through the newsletter, and also have a great and healthy holiday. Happy Labor Day from BariatricPal! Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder, BariatricPal Packing Your Labor Day Picnic Basket Going on a picnic this Labor Day? It’s a nice idea if you’re going to watch a parade, take the family to the park, or watch fireworks later on. Here’s how you can get in a good meal without going off your WLS diet. Picnic Favs You Can Eat Picnics tend to have a lot of food you can’t eat, at least, not if you’re serious about losing weight. Fried chicken, tuna salad subs, and potato chips just aren’t on the diet. But there’s no reason you can’t make your own picnic favs! Have grilled chicken or baked “fried” chicken coated with high-fiber cereal instead of breadcrumbs, or make tuna lettuce wraps instead of tuna salad sandwiches. Instead of potato chips? Try baked kale chips. You can round out your basket with proteins and veggies like hard-boiled eggs, fat-free refried bean dip, salad, and cut raw carrots, cucumbers, and celery sticks. Prepared Salads…The Healthy Way It’s not a picnic unless it has pasta salad. Just skip the pasta! Take your favorite pasta salad recipe and make a few small changes. Use cooked zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash instead of pasta. Substitute fat-free Italian dressing for full-fat dressing, or use Dijon or spicy brown mustard as your main flavor. Add plenty of veggies, such as cherry tomatoes, green onions, and broccoli florets. Add some sliced olives for a little healthy fat and a lot of flavor. Add low-fat feta or diced lean pastrami for some flavorful protein. You can always healthify other traditional prepared salads, too. Use cooked cauliflower instead of potatoes in potato salad. Toss shredded cabbage with low-fat Asian dressing instead of mayo for coleslaw. Use Greek yogurt or fat-free mayo instead of full-fat mayo when making tuna or other salads. The “Extras” Can Fit into Your WLS Diet The “extras” at a picnic can be high-sugar, high-calorie, and devastating to your weight loss efforts. Drinks like soft drinks and sweet tea, and desserts like brownies and chocolate chip cookies, can set you back by days, not to mention make you feel sick. Be sure to pack plenty of cold water to drink. Also, bring some appetizing fresh fruit to eat instead of sugary, fatty desserts. Apples and oranges are about as easy as it gets, but you could also make a red, white, and blue fruit salad with strawberries, white peaches, and blueberries. Getting Back into the Groove Summer is a little more relaxed than the rest of the year. Even if you’re not a student or teacher who gets an extended summer break, the season is a little slower moving. It’s easy to lose focus. Your diet may get a little less strict, or you might have trouble getting out the door for a workout in the summer heat, or you may be a little less aggressive about being on the phone with the insurance company or finding the right surgeon for your WLS. After Labor Day, that all changes. Now that kids are back in school and people are back from vacation and going back to their regular schedules, it’s time to take a look at your own schedule. Did you hit your summer goals? Are you following your WLS diet to a “T?” If you haven’t had surgery yet, are you doing everything you can to get it scheduled and paid for? Think Back and Ahead Think back over the past couple of months. Were there some times when you knew you weren’t making the best choice for your health, like when you went out for ice cream and got your own scoop instead of bringing an apple to munch on? Did you skip a few workouts? Did you get out of the habit of measuring your food? Did you stop making phone calls to the insurance company because you just couldn’t face being on the phone anymore? Plan Your Schedule With everything starting up all at once, things can get pretty hectic. That gives you the opportunity to create a new schedule for yourself. You can be sure to include the things that are important to your new healthy lifestyle, such as time for cooking at least once a week, and going to the gym a few times a week. Sometimes it seems hard, but success is largely a question of building a habit. The sooner you get started, the sooner your healthy behaviors will be habit. You won’t have to think about making the “right” decisions, and it’ll be easier for the weight to come off! Enjoying the New You – A Reminder The WLS journey is hard, no question. You form new eating habits, give up some favorite foods, develop new relationships with food and sometimes with people. You may spend a lot more time thinking about your health and acting on those thoughts. With all that hard work, we thought we should take a second to remind you to enjoy the rewards! There are probably some victories you can’t help but notice and celebrate, like hitting milestones on the scale. But don’t bury yourself so deep in the daily choices that you forget to enjoy the journey. Notice how much better you feel when you’re sitting in the car, or how much easier it is to push the shopping cart around the grocery store. Notice how much easier it is to spend time with your kids, friends, and other people. You can even appreciate your changes in mentality, from “I can’t,” “I’m not worth it,” and “Maybe I shouldn’t be eating this pizza,” to “I can,” “I deserve it just as much as everyone else,” and “I’m so proud of myself for enjoying these carrot sticks!” Thanks for reading the newsletter and making BariatricPal part of your Labor Day weekend. Have a healthy, happy, and safe holiday, and thanks for your support!