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So... how is everyone? I took a nap. Goal number 1 failed. Then I had some kind of freak mental Britney breakdown. Shit you not. I woke from my nappy-nap, and went all kinds of freak out. I was going thru food withdrawal. I have never felt such discomfort. I can only imagine that this is what a detoxing drug addict feels like. I was crying, sweaty, leg cramps, dizzy, and just not me. I had to EAT. I wobbled down to the kitchen and made me 1 scrambled egg. No milk no butter, nothing but egg and salt n pepper. It took me forever to eat it and it was sooooo good. I felt better in an instant. I also felt worse since I then felt like a failure to the 10th power. I have been staring at this computer for about an hour now just reading other peoples tales of "cheating". I dont think I did so bad as compared to some. Every Dr.'s plan of action seems different though. I have liquids til day 9 then I get yogurt.. etc, Day 17 brings todays egg, cheese and taters. Day 32 resumes soft solids/solid solids. So, I am not done beating myself up but I will do better tomorrow. I am only human and right now, I fell off the wagon a bit. SIGH

Haven't "gone" since last Tuesday the day before my surgery. I know I'm not really eating much besides yogurt and soup but isn't this too long?

Today I went back on liquids because for more then a week now my scale keeps going back and forth from 230-231 and no weight loss I am taking in between 600-824 calories a day is this to much? am i doing something wrong? I hear we will go through stalls but so soon? I started at 258 and am now 229 but only because as of yesterday I went back on liquids.. If not I may still be 231.. So my question is, is it normal to go through a stall so soon? I mean i know with the 2 weeks of liquids its expected to have rapid weight loss and this is not good I know but on puree i was okay for the first week and only 1 pound on the second and not nothing and I will be a week on soft/ground as of tomorrow.. Am I rushing it? should I just eat what I been eating or trick my body by doing liquids and going back on puree again.. I know the average weight loss should be 1-2 pounds a week but 0? I did not get my stomach cut off for 0 so soon after surgery!!! I dont want to hurt myself but I have no one to talk to since I decided to keep this to myself.. Help... I need some advice from someone who knows! my daily average food intake is 3-4 oz of oatmeal made with skin milk then maybe a low fat greek yogurt then a may have 4oz of baked salmon and then again for then 3-4 oz of ground turkey and then baked salmon again I can only get about 6. 8oz glasses of water in a day i am trying for 8 but 6 has been my average.. is this okay?

Look on Amazon I get my protein mixes there. I like the plain Isopure for adding to juice, broth, sf koolaid, yogurt and sf pudding.

Well,my work schedule really dictates how I eat. I start work at 5am . I usually snack on 2 low cal string cheese when I first get to work. At 7am we have a break and I will have a yogurt or a cup of maple brown sugar oatmeal. Then we have another break at 9am. Sometimes I'll have either a cup of pudding or a fiber 1 bar. I've also discovered the Special K protein bars. Lunch is at 11:30. Cottage cheese, lunchables(I usually can't eat it all) left overs. Lunch is very hard for me. I think it has something to do with rushing to much. We only get a half hour. Sometimes what I do get down and keep down produces sliming up to an hour afterwards :smile:. I get off work at 1:30 and home by 2pm. I have about 2/3 cup of pumpkin seeds, which I love and are filled with omegas and protein. Sometimes dinner is just a bowl of cheerio's.(There's just me and my 3 dogs, so I dont' have to cook for anybody.) I have also learned what DOESN'T work::wink: cold chicken or reheated chicken taco bell burrito supreme's overcooked shrimp any kind of meat that has been fried THank GOd!!!!, I can do steak> Luv steak and don't have a problem with it at all, while it's brother, hamburger somedays are better than others. Yeah I still snack, but I try and do better than I used to. I buy those 100 calories snacks and limit myself to 2 of them and not bag after bag. I weakness is still chocolate or candy. So far I've been good with Easter approaching, but I might have to get me a small bag of the Cadbury mini eggs. That is my normal day. Susan

Oh no, perhaps you misunderstood. Height 5'2" HW: 238 WLS Class 1- Visit 1: 3/18/13 235.2# Mandatory Weight Control Class: 4/3/13 Visit 2 NUT: 4/18/13 227.6# Visit 3 NUT: 5/15/13 226# WLS Class 2-Visit 4: 6/18/13 222#- told scale at that location not right. PSYCH Phone Clearance-6/19/13 Surgeon's Seminar 6/20/13 Visit 5 NUT: 7/17/13 223.8# Visit 6 NUT: 8/13/13 221.8# Approved: 8/20/13 First Surgeon's Visit: 8/23/13-219.4# My PCP made me do the weight reduction class and try it on my own for 6 months, obviously that didn't work, so then, she made me do a year of Weight Watchers, then she agreed to refer me to the Weight Loss Surgery Program. I did the whole 6 months of Nut visits and classes before I finished and got approved. My nut didn't even call me to tell me that I was approved until friday of that week, and I was approved on a tuesday. WTF for real. Dr. Mayes works with your doctor at Virginia Hospital Center. Pre-Op diet is the usual no solid food- 5-6 shakes a day, sf Jello, sf pudding, sf yogurt, broth, sf popsicles, sf fudgesicles.

I was told to crush my pills (I take 2) and they crushed one for me in the hospital and put it in Water.... and it was horrible. Now I put them in yogurt or pudding and let them soften and then swallow it like a little bite. It works but my pills are tiny.

Most of my meds I was able to do liquid form (check with your pharmacy) but the ones I couldn't do liquid I had to open up and take them with yogurt. It was not fun. It doesn't last very long though. Pretty soon I was able to take them whole again.

Hi Leslie, I am on Weight Watchers. I follow the core program. It is comprised of meats, fish, chicken, all the protein you want. Vegies and fruits . The only carbs you have besides the fruits are brown rice and whole grain pastas, no bread. You get 35 points a week to eat whatever you want outside of the core plan. ie. alcohol, bread, mayo, etc. My mom's friend has lost 100 lbs on the core program. You eat unlimited until you are full. I have such a great fill now that I only at a 1 point weight watcher yogurt yesterday, 3 plums, 1 hard boiled egg, 1/2 chicken breast and zucchini for dinner. I love going to the meetings. I have 23 lbs to lose with a 15 lb stretch goal. Julie from CA.

low gi diets, the gi stands for glycemic (sp?) index. Its based on sugar being 100, and how long it takes to digest the food. The lowest food is no sugar or artifically sweetened yogurt, and cottage cheese is good. You can have two 100 calories protein or low fat dairy snacks a day, look at the labels for the highest protein varieties. I eat lots of fish. Im struggling to lose too, and need to do all I can to help it along. Foods that take longer to digest go lower and trigger enzymes that make you feel full and more satisfied, hence you are supposed to eat whole grains, cereal, rice, pasta etc. Go easy though on carbs, they are a side item and not the main course etc. You can have fruit once a day, but I try to skip the fruit, too much sugar. low gi fruits are apples, stone fruits like peaches and berries.

In my diet i can hve 3 protein shakes a day...plain yogurt , sugar free pudding , sugar free jello, sgf popsicls and chicken broth i thought i would be good with all those options but i just get really hungry for salt foods and i love spicy so i end up eating like a vegatable with hot sauce i dnt think its a good idea to hve hotsauce tho so im eliminating that its just been really hard nd its making me doubt my self after the surgery its stressing me like i said i hve a little more control each dAy but i end up feelin dissapointed in my self for not sticking to it completly but thakyou for your reply and good luck on your journey ... I hope its not this hard after surgery!

I was on liquids for 18 days, but once I was on puréed, I could only eat 2 tbls of yogurt or cottage cheese or refried Beans, etc. once or twice/day. I'm at 5 months out now and I couldn't eat a whole can of beans....even a 1/2 can would stuff me. I would talk to your surgeon to find out how much you should be eating at each meal, because this seems like an awful lot to me.

Started pre-op today and with a few additions to my optifast shake this morning (replaced 1/2 the water with fat free milk and added 50g of no fat yogurt) made it through. I'm concerned though because I'm not hungry enough to eat everything my plan says to. =/ Made it to gym again today... only to realise that I'd forgotton my shoes. =S

Firstly, I had surgery 8 weeks ago. My highest weight was 338 last year November-ish. I weighed 333 before my 1 week pre-op liquid diet. I weighed 316 the day before surgery. I now weigh 273. I've lost 65 pounds. I'm expecting to hit the 260's in the next 4 days. I am expecting to lose 70 pounds in the next 7 days. I want to Celebrate this but it was such an unhappy unpleasant process to losing this weight. Let me break it down: Week 1 post op - I was sore but recovered very well. I was always exhausted and I slept a lot. I was on a 0 sugar liquid diet. Keep in mind I was also on a 1 week pre-op 0 sugar or low sugar liquid diet the week before. Week 2 post- I was weak. I could barely walk around. I gave up on the 0 sugar or low sugar part of the diet. I did not care what my doctor's nutrition plan said. Gatorade was my savior! Powerade was my friend! 0 artificial sugar added apple juice diluted with Water got me through the week. On top of that, I was starving. I tried to eat a spoon full of tuna on Wednesday but I threw it up immediately. I thought about food a lot. Someone told me i need counselling cause it was "head hunger". I actually collapsed one morning when I got out of bed and fell into the wall. That's when I knew It was not head hunger. I couldn't leave the house. I wasn't fit to drive. Weeks 3 - 4 - I began to eat which was amazing. I was on a soft food diet. I didn't eat everyday because i couldn't. I couldn't always hold food down. I vomited occasionally. However, I was happy I could eat at all. It had been 3 weeks without food. Yogurt was like a blessing. Still I didn't eat daily and mostly drank cranberry juice and orange juice all the time with chew-able multi-Vitamins. I began throwing up pills. I think inflammation was making it hard for me to swallow anything solid. My throat was very inflamed so i switched to chewables. Week 5 - Horrible. I was stronger thanks to the juice. My wounds were healed but I threw up fairly often wether I had eaten or not. I began spitting up mucus. I had Nausea all the time. I developed severe Acid reflux. I took chew-able tums. Itwas trying really hard to not let it interfere with my life and relationship but I had to stay home alot. I really wanted to be working out but i wasn't well. I found temporary relief in slushies and slurpees and began having one everyday from juice shops, cafes or 711. Some days I had 2. They just went down so easy and the ice particles felt amazing against my throat. Much of the inflammation went away. I was eating pho Soup and thin slices of meat in the beginning of the week but by the end of it, Slushies were my only thing. Food, just brought on too much acid reflux. Week 6 - to now (week 8) - The acid reflux intensified to the point where I needed something better than tums. It was horrible in week 6. I started taking Zantac. Slushies and ice slushed drinks are still the only thing that go down easy. Most juices are intolerable because they are too acidic. By the end of week 7, the acid reflux calmed alot and I just had occasional heart burn. I take less Zantac pills now. . I either spit up or vomit up mucus almost every day for the last 2 weeks. Decongestant pills work for a day or two but makes me throw up horribly soon after taking it. I was throwing up bile. I started using therflu drink. It was working but now the taste is intolerable. Last time, i even threw that up. So I'm avoiding medication. I spit up everyday, all day, throughout the day. I keep a bottle in the car to spit in. I sometimes throw up mucus while driving. I felt strong enough to exercise so last week I went to the gym and jogging outside a couple times. I wanted to do more but then spitting up mucus became constant. I had to spit every few minutes. I had to stop jogging or walking sometimes to throw up. I spit when i'm out with friends. It happens even when I don't eat. I'm spitting into a bottle as I type this. It will go away eventually and it isn't getting any worse than it is but it is definitely a burden. It doesn't hurt but It's gross. I usually eat once a day but not everyday. I didn't eat anything yesterday. The spitting makes eating too tedious. I ate alot on Sunday though. I ate like 6 or 7 bites of food that whole day because i was vacationing but i still spent the day spitting. Now, 2 days later i'm still full and haven't eaten anything. I drink milk, slushies and vitamins. Surprisingly, I lost 5 pounds in the last 2 days. The eating may have actually boosted my metabolism. Makes sense given how little I eat. Is there anyone with this spitting problem? Is their a temporary solution? I've lost weight but in a very crappy way. I've been unwell most of the last 6 weeks. It's affected everything. My relationship, my social life and my career moves have mostly been on pause. I believe that this is just a temporary problem and that the body will recover from it eventually. I just wish i had a temporary solution for this one. In any case, I plan on working out this week. I really expect to lose alot of weight by the Friday of next week. Atleast 10 pounds is my goal but we'll see .

I was sleeved on July 2nd and still don't eat much solid food...it hurts. I'm okay with that, though. I stick to yogurt, peaches, oatmeal, and tomato or chicken noodle soup. Every once in a while I take a bite of something esle, and if it hurts, I stop. I feel great though and have lost 63lbs so I see no need to eat food that causes pain. I do miss food too, but I look in the mirror and remind myself that this was the right decision!!! The other day I really wanted some doritos, so I chewed it up and spit it out instead of swallowing. Got the yummy taste without the pain. Sounds gross, I know, but it satisfied my craving. Hang in there!!!! Just because we are "allowed" to have certain foods, doesn't mean they're going to work for us so don't push it and make yourself sick. Take good care of yourself and keep us posted on how you're doing.

The flu shot i got on Mon early caused me to lose all my breakfast of 2 scrambled eggs & some turkey bacon. Since then, I have felt very weak & my stomach started hurting. by Fri I was calling the after-hours-for-thanksgiving-dr. resident at the clinic in extreme pain wanting the band juice taken out. But, I have to wait till Monday. I've had the band for 2 yrs w good success, 50% excess lost. A few months ago my stomach started hurting at the bottom part, so after a long wait, I got a CT scan & the endoscopy. By the day the endo came, I was in extreme extreme pain; could not drive or sign myslef in. Long story short: IF I had gone to the band dr. at the beginning I could have saved the ct scan & endoscopy, because all that told me was i had stomach gastritis, no infection or anything like that. So, I went & had the band emptied later that day and THAT got me out of the pain. After my stomach healed for 8 wks, I had some 2.5 cc approx put in the band, then 2 weeks ago, another 2 cc to put me where I had been for a long time with no problems. My band dr is the head of the UAB (medical center) Kirkland Clinic's Bariatric dept, and he told me last month, with stomach distress, the band can be the culprit. So, after not sleeping sitting up last night, I am better today. Started out with hot tea, and gulping water to get my few pills down. Then I progressed to applesauce, then yogurt; chicken boullion; and finally toast w peanut butter. All this just so you'll know the band can create stomach flu-like symptoms or make it worse or visa versa. But one piece of advice was wayy off for you--no solids until you are barf free, nausia free & pain free. Just go with squishy stuff & liquids. So I am rethinking if i need the band de-juiced. Have to wait & see how it feels after I let it rest another day. I go all through this because so many folks get discouraged when the band has to be released, but it's really for the better. You can get healed and refill. I may have to have mine removed if my stomach pain kicks up again. Dr says its the best thing to do, and he congratulated me for my loss (which has stalled for 9 mos); as most band patients do not lose 50% of excess. I am happy for what I have been able to do so far. It has made a huge difference in my lifestyle, outlook, & 65 yrs. ancient health. Hope this post helps in general, & stomach pain in particular.

@@anewme15 how are you doing? That's really exciting to hear @@Tintin ! Keep up the great work! I'm a week post op and don't think I could be doing any better. I'm going for 10 minute walks throughout the day and am off all pain meds. Yogurt and cottage cheese have never before brought so much joy into my life, hooray for starting food again!

Well, it's been two weeks since my surgery, and I have updates. I lost 20 pounds on my 2 week pre-op diet, and since then I've lost 14 pounds more. I've been absolutely fanatical about following all the rules of each stage of the diet. I want to succeed, and I especially don't want complications (slips, erosions, etc.) I know sometimes that's unavoidable, but at least I won't have any guilt if it happens. liquid Phase: After reading on these boards that many people gain weight before their first fill, I was deeply concerned that I would lose my progress. So on my liquid phase, after the first few days where I could only get down broth and tea, I stuck pretty much to my pre-op diet, not eating the vegetables of course, but adding in more Protein shakes, and geting to about 800-1200 calories a day. I did not drink diluted juice even though it was "permitted," sticking instead to Protein Shakes and, two times, fat-free milk. Mushy Phase: I knew from reading these boards that a major pitfall for many bandsters is the mushy phase. Being that we're hungry and mushies go down easily, the calories can easily add up - many people understandably gain weight during this stage. I didn't want that to happen, so I was afraid to move forward to mushies - but I knew I should leave the liquid diet behind already. I was trying to solve the problem, when I decided that I could do mushies but I would have to keep track of what I was eating and how much. So, I joined Weight Watchers. Diets never worked for me for very long in the past, but I figured the 3.5 week liquid diet should have shrunk my stomach a bit, and knowing I have a fill coming makes it mentally easier to hang on and not go off plan. Before surgery I didn't think I'd care if I gained a little before my fills, but now I do. I've lost 34 pounds in 4 weeks, and I just don't want to go back. I've been sticking like glue to the plan. I weigh and measure everything before I put it in the food prcessor, and I track it online as soon as I've eaten it. I eat mostly low point foods, but I've also splurged on higher point items - did you know you can process french fries? To make them mushy I mixed in some Soup, which I also have to count points for, but they still tasted like french fries, and were worth every point LOL! I've also pureed pizza with a little extra sauce - it doesn't taste like pizza by the time you add the sauce in, but it was fun. Mostly, though, I stick to low point foods: sugarfree pudding, fatfree yogurt, scrambled egg whites with fatfree salsa (pureed), boiled vegetables (pureed), unsweetened applesauce, etc. I also eat whatever my family is having for supper, measured out and pureed. All in all, I've lost 14 pounds since surgery. Anyway, that's where I'm holding now. I have my first fill next month, and I'm terrified. I hope it won't be too painful! Anyway, that's the update. Good luck to everyone on this journey!

I believe it's digestibility. I didn't get yogurt until week 3 but I do know that when we eat anything that isn't liquid our stomachs churn to digest it. So it's not just an issue of getting stuck, (depending on your band) but more an issue of keeping the stomach still so that the band (and the sutures holding it there unless you have a realize band) will heal into place. That's the BIG reason it's important to follow your doc's post op directions...not to "learn" not to eat, or to prevent PB'ing. With bands other than the new AP (I don't know about realize) the "restriction" issues were (and are) more important in the early days post op. The new AP bands don't have as much immediate post op restriction (and that's good, you heal better and are less likely to have problems later. But man you get hungry!:eek:) but you do still need to keep that stomach STILL so it can all heal well. You risk erosion and/or slippage if you don't.

Hi there. Not sure if I am doing things the right way, and I certainly hope so. Was banded on Oct. 31st, and as you said, have one week to go on liquids.. Monday, speaking to my caseworker in Dr. Naim's office, she let me know that I can go to Soups, sugar free Jello and sugar free pudding and popsicles, and yogurt. I am not big on sweets myself, but the soup was good news. I went and bought 20 cans of soup. So here is how my day goes: when I wake up: I drink a half EAS nutrition shake (strawberry cream)..this is the tastiest, less gross one i could find, and a small cup of juice get to work and sip Water slowly in the morning. at lunch, fix a can of campbells soup (tomato or one of the cream of's). i mix a can of soup with a cup of milk for creaminess (not tomato) I went to the 99 cent store and bought 4 strainers to dump my nuked soup into so the bits of chicken or potato are caught and dump them...now it gets good for me. I am a sucker for lemon pepper. i love lemon pepper a LOT. so i add a couple squirts of lemon juice to the cream of chicken and a few shakes of Lawry's lemon pepper to it..the lemon juice you can find in the produce department..little plastic yellow bottle with a name like "Italia"... I also add a few shots of the lemon juice and some pepper to the tomato soup. Gives it a nice taste. Again, these are my ideas only and I wasn't coached on whether i should be doing this, so i am not doing the same. Just giving some tips on having a liquid diet not focused around jello, pudding and popsicles. Another thing I did, but I don't suggest this. If you go out to eat with friends or family, order the soup, but ask the waiter to strain it to keep objects out. Throw and extra couple dollars tip their way and they will have no problem doing this...I got a strange look from the guy at Chili's, but I explained and he was more than eager to help me out and make sure I had no little bits of food in my soup and was cream soup only. Hope my tips help, and more important...hope my tips are not more harmful more than helpful. MAKE SURE you check with your surgeon's office before attempting anything I am describing doing.

One hardboiled egg - usually I fry it (in Pam) or have yogurt. On Sunday I had two pieces of center cut bacon - it was yummy!

I feel very fortunate after reading some of your experiences... I'm on day 3 of my pre-op diet... but mine is only a low-fat, low-carb and high-protein diet... basically, no sugar, except what comes naturally in fruit and veggies... lots of liquids (80-100oz. daily), Protein shakes, yogurt or skim milk three times a day... we're even allowed a tiny amount of meat for dinner, and a tiny amount of complex carbs, too... potatoes, Beans or hummus... anyway, so far, I've lost 3 lbs., and I haven't been too hungry or too tempted... my biggest hurdle is sugar, since I hate the taste of artificial sweeteners in my beverages... but, I'm managing! Doodle

My nutritionis said that until I get good restriction (I haven't been filled yet) to eat 3 small meals and 3 -4 small snacks a day. Just start having some healthy snacks between meals - yogurt, nuts, cheese, fruit etc... She said that eventually I won't be hungry enough to eat between meals but for now - it's OK.

(Post OP) I started walking in the mall everyday after surgery. It help me recover quickly. Drink plenty of fluids!!!!!! Protein shakes are really difficult after surgery. I have bought protein broths, drinks, gatorade with protein, and greek yogurt with 2X's the protein. I feel like a million bucks

I love cottage cheese, so when I was on liquids, I'd blend some up with a bit of skim milk to think it out. One treat I liked on liquids was also to blend up a banana with some skim milk to make a "sauce" to put over the cottage cheese. After the Clear Liquids diet, that was wonderful! Also, I made and bought a bunch of different soups -- there are two really yummy recipes & photos on my blog if you're interested. I bought turkey chili as well and blended it with some chicken broth & fat free yogurt to thin it out. I still have that sometimes -- it's yummy! I'm still loving the ff/sf Jello chocolate pudding. That's become a staple in my house, even though I generally try to stay away from artificial sweetenters. I just enjoy having a treat on hand that doesn't mess up my diet! Congrats on your surgery! Glad to hear you are doing well. Catherine