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Though the nutritionist at my doc's office doesn't believe that you should force yourself to eat breakfast if you don't want it, I do eat it even though I'm not hungry per se in the morning. I eat it because if I don't, I always come in under 1000 cals for the day, and I need to stay above that because I have so much weight to lose. Also, i'm vegetarian and if I don't have 3 meals, I can't get in the 50+ g Protein my doc recommends for my height. So, I usually eat either (1) 80 cals of FF Total Yogurt with 1 c Kashi (total of 220 cals and 26 grams of protein, which always sets me up to meet my caloric/protein goals), (2) 1 morningstar veggie sausage patty (80 cals) or (3) 2 wedges of laughing cow cheese sandwiched between 2 pieces of Kavali crackers (140 cals). lunch is usually my biggest meal.

I am like most as to my stomach can't tolerate breakfast in the morning so I force down a mini carb control yogurt or a handful of already peeled sunflower seeds. My coffee is all that I really want until about noon or 1:00 pm but realizing breakfast is the most important meal and jumpstarts the metabolism.

Weight Watchers Smart Ones have some pretty good breakfast items. I typically have a protein shake and Greek yogurt with granola or oatmeal.

I was sleeved on 6/25. My internal stitch popped yesterday, and since then my abdominal pain has gotten better. I'm a wimp though, so it still bothers me when I get up or down. I had a rough time in the evening and day following surgery, but I have steadily improved since then. Today, 7/17, I get to finally start soft foods and I am super happy about that. The last 10 days or so of my strict liquid diet (no lumps, bumps, jell-o, pudding, yogurt, etc) has been difficult, but I did it. I've lost 28 pounds total since the 2 week pre-op diet and I am very pleased with that. I'm hoping I can get enough Protein in with soft foods to ditch the protein shakes, but we'll see. My energy level is still pretty low, but once again I'm a wimp and am probably resting a little too much. I'm hoping I'll feel better with actual food in me.

Hello tearin. Congrats on your 30 lb weight loss. I had surgery Jan 28, 2014 and I'm having a hard time too. I feel like I've made a mistake. We just had a death in the family and it has been very hard to sit with family ( most don't know about my surgery) and not eat. A group of us went out to eat and I just sat there. I got invited to girls night tonight to have Mojito's or some kind of mixed drink and I didn't even answer the phone calls. This has effected every aspect of my life. My daily life, my social life. Do you want to hear the worst part of all. Not only does my life that used to be active and full consist of sitting at home as a recluse but the biggest kicker of all is I've only lost 9 lbs. I am devastated. All this no food no nothing and I don't even have a thing to show for it. How my body can sustain itself on a protein shake, yogurt, low fat pudding and a cheese stick is beyond me. I'm sorry for not bring uplifting which is what you need right now but sometimes I just gave to be real. Hang in there and feel free to vent. I know it's hard but thank goodness you at least have a payout for all this work.

I understand that feeling of wanting food, but not being able to eat it. Those first couple of weeks are super hard. Today marks 5 weeks for me and I am still figuring things out. Here are a couple of things that I tried that helped: Cream of chicken Soup - gives you some satisfaction for any salt craving Skim Milk Cottage cheese - oodles of Protein (10-12g per half cup) Okios Greek Yogurt - a nice boost of protein there too (11-13g per 5 oz cup) There's also something called Getatein - it's a cup of Jello but it packs in 20g of protein into a little cup. They are insanely expensive and the taste is "acquired", but if you can get it down, it's pretty good especially in these early weeks. You can find it on Amazon. I use Premier Protein shakes - 30g protein per shake. They come in chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. They really aren't too bad. Also can be found on Amazon or at Sam's Club. Best of luck and if you discover any additional tricks, please let us know!

I agree with 123crod. Stop looking for the full feeling. Full after being banded is different. What you should be aiming for is satisfied. Eat the recommended amounts, stop and see how long before you are PHYSICALLY hungry again.And yes this is far different from head hunger. Most of us eat for reasons other than hunger e.g Habit, boredom, because its there, because it looks good, because everyone else is eating it. Counselling sounds like a good suggestion. You also need to look at what you eat. Some foods will fill you up for a lot longer than others. Solid Protein is the best. Steak will fill you up for longer than mince ,mince will fill you better thah mashed potatoes etc.So if you are not making the right choices that could also be part of your problem. Between meals you may get hungry but then you should have a drink. A full drink in a short period will help to fill you up - sipping over a long period of time won't. Does your Dr allow Snacks? Mine allows a small planned healthy snack midmorning and mid afternoon if i need it. Things like vegie Soup, yogurt, tinned tuna etc. Hope some of these suggestions help.

You just had a MAJOR surgery. Your organs are swollen and you have a fair amount of gas in your body at the moment. Your lungs and your diaphragm are going to need some time to get back to their normal output, and the diaphragm is probably feeling the pressure of the gas and swollen organs right now causing the uncomfortable pain you have, BUT you want to keep taking those deep breaths to clear any fluids out of your lungs. Pretty T is right you should be drinking only clear fluids the first day, and possibly the second with slow tiny medicine cup sips. Warm fluids help, as well as ice pops (sugar free of course) Moving on to Protein shakes, and then yogurt and light broth like Soups. Every Dr. and office is different but no matter what you should always find out as much information from as many sources as you can. This is not a simple surgery, like an endoscope this was major surgery and it will take days and weeks for your body acclimate. You should feel a bit better every day. Walk around, and slow down the eating for now. Give your body time to rest and heal. Do some research and call your doctor so that you have more peace of mind.

Greek yogurt rocks LOL. I added Splenda to the vanilla flavor, and it was not too sweet, and not too bitter. I used it with the mushy stage as a sour cream substitute. My go-to Protein Snacks are: Beef jerky/Turkey Jerky Cracker Barrel 2% milk sharp cheddar cheese rectangles (they are individually wrapped) and sold at all the local grocery stores here. Pork Rinds are amazing. I like the flavored ones best. (I use the regular flavor in all of my recipes that call for bread crumbs) Turkey pepperoni tossed under the broiler in the oven or toaster oven on a small amount of parchment paper. (I do not like microwaved meat at all because it doesn't go down for me all that well) Cheese chips ( grate parmesan cheese into little piles on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper or spray the cookie sheet with Pam, pop into the oven at 350 until melted thoroughly, remove from oven, let cool and VOILA little crispy cheese chips) You can also add garlic, lemon pepper, any other spices/seasoning that you enjoy. Oven-Baked Cheese Crisps Recipe Lettuce wraps with heavily seasoned chicken. Either Asian or Mexican flare are my favorites. The lettuce replaces the tortilla, and give a little crunch. I prefer bib lettuce or romaine hearts instead of iceberg. I'm a bit of a lettuce snob and refuse to eat iceberg. You can find a lot of recipes for lettuce wraps that you can tweak to make it higher protein/low carb. Good luck with the pre-op diet. I avoided fruits and starchy, high glycemic index veggies just because of the carb counts.

Greek yogurt is WAY thicker than regular and has a bite to it. Almost like sour cream. I have been talking and purusing though and have several recipes from people on these forums as well as from a NUT friend and I am pretty optimisic about its use. It can be yummy and especially post op when swallowing can be difficult it helps to have something super creamy. Today i ate 1/4 of a taco w/ extra lean ground turkey, half an ounce of cheddar, 1/4 of a low carb tortillia and then greek yogurt and salsa and it was delicious! I am a huge Mexican food buff and this fit the bill.

It's fairly common for some after gastric bypass. I have had several episodes but I am doing better now. My triggers were eating high carbohydrate foods which caused a hypoglycemic episode. I then tried to manage it by eating more carbs but that was not the answer. What I found works for me is frequent small meals no longer than 4 hours apart while awake. Protein first, limited but added carbs and some fats. For example I eat a yogurt in the morning 9am, protein shake mid morning 10:30am, small green apple about 11:30am or 12pm then lunch about 1pm which has protein & vegetables or protein & low carb pasta, mid afternoon snack around 3pm is another yogurt and by about 6pm I eat dinner and then by 8pm I have another snack like sugar free popsicles or low carb candies. This varies because I have been adding more carbs like peanut butter crackers to my diet since I am trying to cut down on weight loss and maintain my weight now. Just a general plan. I was also told a referral can be made to a Endocrinologist if necessary. Feel better soon.

Nope, you’re not about to desperately dig into a carton of Haagen-Dazs. You’re reaching for a pre-portioned meal or snack that is high enough in protein and low enough in calories to fit into your diet. A frozen meal or snack may not quite be a locally grown, organic, freshly made gourmet meal, but it sure beats the alternative if the alternative is opening a bag of chips or ordering a pizza. If you like having frozen meals around, these are some good ones to consider. What better time than now to think about your freezer, since March is National Frozen Foods Month? These suggestions are good sources of protein and not too high in calories. Heat and Eat You’re on your way home from work, you’re exhausted, and you’re starving. Is it time for you to swing by the Chinese or restaurant on your street for some take-out? No, because you don’t have thousands of calories to play with. Plus, you know you have some good choices in your freezer that are just a few minutes away from being ready to eat. At least, you do if you’ve stocked up your freezer! Read labels carefully when shopping for frozen meals. Check not only the protein and calorie content, but also the serving sizes. Some meals, especially pizzas, seem like they’re for one person, when they really have three or more servings. Lean Cuisine, Weight Watchers Smart Ones, Michelina’s Lean Gourmet, and Amy’s Kitchen have frozen meals you can work with. Keep some in your freezer at home, and, if you can, stash a few at work to have for lunch. They sure beat opting into your coworkers’ group order for Italian subs and potato chips. Here are some frozen meals with at least 10 to 15 grams of protein and no more than 250 calories. Lean Cuisine Steak Tips Portabello with 15 grams of protein, 150 calories, and 14 grams of carbohydrates. Lean Cuisine Herb Roasted Chicken with 16 grams of protein, 180 calories, and 5 grams of fiber. Lean Cuisine Roasted Turkey and Vegetables, with 16 grams of protein and 200 calories. Lean Cuisine Cheese and Tomato Snack Pizza with 10 grams of protein and 180 calories. Lean Cuisine Pepperoni Snack Pizza with 12 grams of protein and 210 calories. Michelina’s Lean Gourmet Salisbury Steak with 10 grams of protein and 180 calories. Michelina’s Lean Gourmet Shrimp with Pasta and Vegetables with 11 grams of protein and 240 calories. Michelina’s Lean Gourmet Baked Pepperoni Pizza Snacks with 11 grams of protein and 250 calories Weight Watchers Smart Ones Chicken Quesadilla with 170 calories and 12 grams of protein. Weight Watchers Smart Ones Spicy Szechuan Style Vegetable and Chicken with 240 calories and 11 grams of protein. Weight Watchers Smart Ones Chicken Santa Fe with 160 calories and 19 grams of protein. Amy’s Kitchen Light and Lean Swedish Meatballs with 260 calories and 12 grams of protein. Amy’s Kitchen Light and Lean Quinoa and Black Beans with Butternut Squash and Chard with 240 calories, 10 grams of protein, and 11 grams of fiber. Start Your Day Off Right Okay, what would be the ideal breakfast on your weight loss surgery diet? Maybe an omelet made with baby spinach and mushrooms and low-fat feta cheese? Cottage cheese protein pancakes served with freshly cut fruit? Nice, but you probably can’t make these kinds of breakfasts every day. If you’re going to talk about being too rushed to cook healthy homemade meals, you have to mention breakfast! Most of us just don’t have time to cook a hot, high-protein breakfast. Frozen meals can do the trick in a pinch. If you’re feeling ambitious, grab a piece of fruit to eat with your breakfast and up the fiber. Here are a few good choices. You can easily turn these breakfasts into grab-n-go meals by wrapping up the sandwiches or packing the other meal options into a container. Lean Cuisine Veggie Scramble 16 grams of protein and 180 calories. Lean Cuisine Turkey Sausage Scramble with 18 grams of protein and 180 calories. Weight Watchers Smart Ones English Muffin Sandwich with 210 calories and 13 grams of protein. Weight Watchers Smart Ones Three Cheese Omelet with 13 grams of protein and 200 calories. Jimmy Dean Delights Egg White with Spinach and Mozzarella Honey Wheat Flatbread with 11 grams of protein and 160 calories. Meal Minus One What else should you have in your freezer so that you’re just minutes away from a meal that fits on your weight loss surgery diet? I like to call these “Meals Minus One” because you just need to add one (or a few) ingredients to make them a meal. Here are a few ideas – but check your grocer’s freezer for other healthy varieties. Morningstar Farms Meal Starters Grillers Recipe Crumbles, with 9 grams of protein and 70 calories per half-cup. Toss with fresh or frozen veggies and – optional – top with low-fat cheese for an easy breakfast scramble. Morningstar Farms Garden Veggie Patties with 10 grams of protein and 110 calories. Stir fry with frozen stir-fry vegetable mix and teriyaki sauce. Van’s 8 Whole Grains Lite Waffles with 3 grams of protein and 65 calories for 2. Serve with nonfat Greek yogurt and fresh or frozen berries. Jimmy Dean Delights Fully Cooked Applewood Smoke Sausage Links with 120 calories and 10 grams of protein, served with 1 packet of instant oatmeal. You can have a quick, high-protein breakfast with only a little bit of imagination, and even less time and effort. A Note on Frozen Foods and Health Are frozen meals really that healthy? Aren’t they processed? Don’t they have preservatives in them? Yes, you’re right. Many frozen meals are high in sodium. They can contain added sugars, and be higher in fat that you expect. Weight Watchers Smart Ones Chicken Santa Fe, for example, has 800 milligrams of sodium or more than one-third of what you need in a day. Ideally, you could cook each meal from scratch using fresh, wholesome ingredients. That’s not possible for most people. When “perfect” isn’t possible, it’s time to look at the “next best” option. And if your choice happens to be between a Jimmy Dean Delights Maple Pancakes and Turkey Sausage Griddlers with 10 grams of protein and 240 calories and, admittedly, 12 grams of sugars, versus, say, a fast food sausage biscuit with over 500 calories and a day’s worth of saturated fat, frozen doesn’t look quite so bad. Frozen foods can bail you out those times when you just need something quick and easy. Spend some time going through the freezer section at your local supermarket so you’re not caught empty-handed when you get desperate. And this March, check the specials at the grocery store to capitalize on Frozen Foods Month.

Wow how much as changed in a year . Reluctantly I went to see The doctor about getting a lap band just to shut my PCP up. March 26,2013 I had my appointment determined not to be banded. Call it divine intervention but after my visit I wanted the band. And due to the fact for months prior I had seen doctors regarding my weight loss efforts and health issues I was banded July 1,2013. And how fitting close to my 1 year anniversary of deciding to be banded , the girl who could barely do a sit up won the transformation challenge at the gym. Me !!! I won a fitness challenge. I'm inspiring others at the gym. I have gym friends gym friends!! Not the one buffer friend because I'm afraid to be the fat chick at the gym but people I look forward to working out with on a daily basis and who wanna work out with me!!!! We encourage and motivate each other. Making protein bars and protein bites n replacing yogurt with ice cream wtf !!!! When I started this journey I was a size 22/24 pants and 2x/3x in shirts. Currently a 14/16 in pants n l/xl in shirts. People are calling me skinny -and worried about how much more weight I'm going to lose wtf is going on here lol.. Had about 150lbs to lose probably more if I look at bmi I randomly thought 150 was overwhelming . Well I'm down 90 .. 60 to go in less than a year and thinking Of getting to 125 if it's a heathy choice for my body. I am inspiring people at the gym me the girl who couldn't do a sit up. Now I'm doing explosive sit ups burpees , knee highs , sprints on bikes, spinning weight training mountain climbers and dead lifts etc. I get up 3 days a week at 4am to get my workout in before work. Working out 5-6 days a week n I love it. Drinking a spinach fruit smoothy with protein powder for breakfast. No more bacon egg and cheese on a bagel followed by a muffin n millions of snacks a day . I Make healthy food choices and really think about what I put in my mouth and yes occasionally it's ice cream or cake. But my band make sure I don't over do it n I love that it has my back or stomach if I was to make a poor choice. But I'm truly making choices not eating mindless. I am aware of everything I eat good or bad n rarely impulse eat anymore. I have wardrobe issues not because things are not too tight but are too big. When I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror out in a store or gym I double take cause u can't believe its me. Folding these small pants is bizarre they are my pants not anyone else's. I take pictures bimonthly for progress and can't believe where I started From to now. I'm doing a spartan race and mud run in June. My workout clothes take up same amount of space on my laundry basket as my regular clothes. So much has changed. I'm happy really happy with me ! Thought I was happy before but not like I am now. I know this post is all over the place but the thoughts of how I changed are flooding my mind as I write this. Being banded was the best decision. For ME . Next goal onederland

Tomorrow I'm heading home (WA State) for 11 days. It's been two years since my last visit and have planned to be there over two weekends so that I had time to spend with old friends (who will mostly be working during the week). The more I talk with friends the more concerned and nervous I become about the whole eating thing. Fortunately my husband and I have eaten out quite a bit since surgery, so I am really good about finding nutritious, soft/mushy food (soup, eggs, grilled or broiled seafood), but I started studying the menus and nutrition values at restaurants I knew we frequented while I was pre-op. I will be staying at my grandmother's house, so I plan to head to the grocery store the morning after I get in since tomorrow night I have a friend picking me up from the airport and we're going straight to a barbeque. I think I'll buy some yogurt--I get the diabetic friendly kind--eggs whites, veggie cheese, turkey sausage, chicken breasts, and lactaid milk. I'm going to pack some protein powder to take with me since the only ones I can tolerate are only available by ordering...I think. Another big concern is helping my friends understand what I can and cannot eat. Although they all know about my surgery, I told everyone in my life (and some who weren't) when I first started looking into it, since they are so far away, I haven't really educated them on the ins and outs of my day to day eating. I have one friend that wants to treat me to lunch next week (she's a little depressed because all of her kids are now school aged for the first time). I'm thinking of suggesting visiting some places around town that we used to hang out and ride our bikes to when we were kids. Another two friends want to go to the big fair and in the past the fair has always been a place for me to overindulge in bad foods. She is much more health conscious and although she mentioned wanting to get a scone I know the trip will be more about checking out the booths and stuff. So I should be fine if I can fight the head hunger. I'm thinking about picking ONE treat that I can have and take a few bites. As for packing, I'm really confused on what to bring. Money has been a bit tight since I'm still not really working much and have about a month more off. I've budgeted out a certain amount and don't plan to go over. So normally I would use any vacation as a chance to add to my wardrobe (when I was a size 16 or below, larger than that and shopping was just not appealing), this time I really need to bring enough to get me by. I know all of these things will work out, but I'm just having last minute worries. I've been pretty fortunate since surgery in that I've been in a pretty controlled environment most days and able to plan ahead for the most part. With this trip, I kind of feel that I am now officially on training wheels.

Mine came from all the antibiotics at the hospital. It's normal. The meds they give you cause it and it took about 2 weeks for mine to fully go away. It's thrush and the best thing for it is yogurt IMO. Also if you put some vinegar in your mouth and swish it around the white parts will start coming off. Your Thrush isn't as bad as mine was, my whole tongue was white.

Okay so my previous post was kind of melodramatic...i was in pain, what can I say? I am feeling much better. Still have some good pain on the right side, which is where my largest incision is. I have been walking a bunch and getting in at least 24 ounces of water the first few days. I am not dehydrated and pee like every hour. I have not yet had a BM. Though I am very bloated and gassy. I can feel the gas moving through me, it isn't uncomfortable but it sure does feel good when a bit comes out. I have to remind myself that I just had major surgery and to not do to much. I am off until Dec 27th. I think that should be enough time. I have not been hungry at all, which is a very nice thing. I also have not experienced head hunger yet but I am sure that will come once I am able to eat a little more. Starting tomorrow I can have pudding, yogurt and cream soups. I am kind of excited and nervous at the same time. I don't want to get sick eating anything so I have been really careful, even when I was having jello!

8:30am- So I feel fairly good. I had some energy this morning and my breakfast filled me up. Same as yesterday (1/2 cup of egg beaters, 1 oz of fat free cheddar cheese and a yogurt). I am trying to work on sipping my water to get used to how it will be after surgery. Boy it is hard though. I am not sure what a sip really is. I am not gupling water like I used to so I guess that is at least a start. Because I don't have access to the website at work I figure I will update on Notepad and then e-mail it to myself before work ends and then copy and paste into the blog and add new stuff when I get home. This way I won't forget things that I wanted to write about during worktime. I weighed myself this morning and I am down 1 pound since yesterday morning, yay me! 9:45am- The bad thing about drinking a bunch of water is that I feel like I have to go to the bathroom every 5 mins!!! I am starting to feel a bit hungry, not as bad as yesterday around this time though, so I think that is good. 10:15am- First food work challenge. Someone brought in homemade brownies and banana bread cake with frosting. I am behaving and staying away from it, but being a little hungry and not eating lunch until 11:30 makes it difficult. I just have to keep telling myself that I can do it. If I can lose 10 pounds by my surgeon appointment in 2 weeks then I will be a happy camper. 11:45am- Yum. Just had lunch. 3oz of deli turkey, half a baked potato and an apple. My belly is happy right now. I just hope that it lasts until dinner! I am doing well eating the protein first. I thought that it would be hard because I am not much of a meat or egg eater. I only each chicken and turkey and I could go a few days with out having either of them. Eggs are another story. I get grossed out thinking about eggs. I have for awhile, but I was watching Man vs Wild on the Discovery Channel and Bear(the guys name) was out in the wilderness and found a nest with a couple of eggs. So he boiled water and put the eggs in it for a few minutes. He was all excited about having boiled eggs. Then he took a bite out of one of the eggs and it had a partially developed fetus in it. YUCK!!! Even he was grossed out and if you have ever watched that show Bear eats some nasty stuff. So eggs and I are not too friendly. The egg beaters is working for me right now though I am not sure if I can do that for breakfast daily. 1:15pm- Just went for a little walk. About a 15 minute walk, it wasn't fast or anything but at least I got out of the office for a little bit. I am feeling pretty good. It is a bit hot out though, isn't summer over? I do not feel hungry or even have a hunger headache. Is the protein working that well? I have been eating protein first with all of my meals, and I fill up faster! 2:45pm- Last update from work. Feel pretty good. A little hungry but not bad. A co-worker is going to make me do stairs with her on Tuesday of next week. We have 18 flights in our building. I think that she is trying to kill me! At least that will be some good exercise, even if it takes me 30 mins to do it! Home sweet home. Dinner is cooking. I forgot to take the chicken out so we are not going to eat for another hour or so. I will probably be really hungry by then! I notice that I am slightly grumpy and irritable. My boyfriend is going to the store to get himself some dessert for after dinner. He asked if it was okay. Of course I said yes. But damn it sucks! He is not the one on the diet, I am. Almost 2 days down. It will get easier I am sure. Right???

Well if you're willing to do anything to be thin and healthy then that's your answer. I would work on giving up the carbonated sodas. Chips, ice cream and chocolate are band friendly ( which can be a bad thing). Band friendly means they go through the pouch easily and won;t fill you as easy as other foods, so it's possible to overeat those foods. Since being banded, I've had two small pieces of chocolate (over x-mas) and a few potato chips, no ice cream yet and no pizza. Yes, you can eat out in restaurants and you might want to just order an appetizer instead of a meal sometimes. Not EVERYONE can eat EVERY FOOD. Some people can't tolerate beef or bread. Some fibrous veggies are difficult for some people. Some people can eat bread if it's toasted. You just wont know until you get there. Remember some of these foods might go down when you are first banded, but as they fill the band to tighten it to fit YOUR stomach and restrict your quantity of food, some foods might be harder to get down. Things like Soup are tricky because it's liquid it goes through your band, does not stay in your pouch to keep you feeling full. So far I am still able to eat chicken and beef. I have had a little bread, but stick more to the crust, I've also had popcorn and nuts. I eat fish, cooked veggies, chicken, beef, turkey meatloaf, yogurt, Cereal, oatmeal, lean cuisines, eggs, salad. Each time I get a fill and get closer to a good level of restriction, I must slowly try foods that I could eat before, to see if my tightened band will tolerate them. Each person also has a level or tightness that works for them. One person might like to be tighter, which might mean many foods don't go down well and another person is ok with a looser restriction. We each find our own personal level of restriction. I just had a fill, so the next few weeks will tell me if I reached a good level of restriction that works for me. I highly recommend you read the threads on the forum about "how fills work" by Wendell, it explains the process very well and was very helpful to me. Or discuss with your surgeon the fill process, so you don;t get discouraged while waiting for good restriction. I'm a slow loser ( always was) but for me this 26 pounds is unbelievable. I am two pounds away from the lowest weight I've been in over 20 years! I know it will be a long road to get this weight off and I know I'll have to work with my band to keep it off. If you lose the weight and pick up your bad habits of drinking with meals, you could start gaining weight back. Our brains are smart and our need to eat is strong, we can figure out ways to beat our band, if we're not careful.

Thanks everyone, the liquid protein shakes take me a while to drink but are getting easier. I need to get three per day (60-80g protein). Three shakes total about 450-500 calories. If I have some thinned yogurt, SF pudding or soup broth, the calories go up to 600 or so. I reached out to my dietician but she probably won’t respond until Monday.

Hi all, I'm new here & so happy to have discovered this site! I am having my surgery the 28th of December. 18 days & counting down!!!!! My doc is having me start on a fat-free yogurt diet 1 week prior to my surgery, to help reduce the size of my liver? Has everybody else had to do this too? How did you do it? I know I will be avoiding all Christmas activities because having to explain all of this is just too much. There are only a few who know I'm going through this & I'm not sure if I should tell anybody else. Any advice? Also, once I got my surgery date scheduled, I started having thoughts of, "I better eat some of that before I won't be able to eat it anymore". Anyone identify with that? What have you done to help those pre-op urges? I know it's important to shrink my liver so I want to follow the rules. I ate at an all-you-can-eat buffet yesterday just because I know it will be something of my past after I have surgery. But! I stopped eating this time before I was actually 'full', so I feel like I'm really ready for this surgery. I guess I'm trying to mentally prepare myself. Anybody have any advice for someone like me who's going into surgery in a few weeks? About eating? About exercise? About moral support? About drinking Water? I have so many questions running through my mind I don't even know where to start! Thanks in advance!!! Keep up your hard work! :clap2: What an inspiration you all are!

Soft bread gives me problems, so I avoid it entirely. Surprisingly, cold foods like milk, ice cream, and yogurt give me problems, also. I only eat those rarely, and I have to go very slow when I do eat them.

it seems like we are on the same diet. I have not had any pasta, had a few bites of bread but my body doesn't seem to like it. So I have been mainly eating Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, flaky fish, ground chicken, some nuts, eggs, hummus on some crackers and some soft veggies. And I also did have a slice of pizza which took me a long time to eat. I am liking the soft stages of food for now.

Protein shakes low fat yogurt miller light ones soup ? get a nutria bullet blend soups up with bits in Meal Replacements drinks Asda own brand also some chew Vitamins Centrum tuty fruity ones better than the drink ones I could not keep them down for shit Water for drinking a few waterproof plasters so you can have a shower ? and clean you cuts apart from that a good rest I'm now 12 days out I'm driving not in pain and moving around ov still feel weak but that's the intake ov liquid diet I'm on hope this helps ???

I'm on day five of my pre-op. Every day has consisted of three protein shake and up to six of the following: 1/2 cup cottage cheese (with Franks red hot sauce), 1/2 cup smooth fat free yogurt, no sugar added applesauce with cinnamon, a low fat cheese stick, sugar free pudding, and 1/2 c cream of wheat with splenda. Broth, coffee, tea, sugar free jello and popcicles are freebies! The shakes are the most crucial!

You doing great... 6lb's a month.... I understand the meat thing. I can only eat steak if it's cooked Med. Rare or white meat chicken if it very moist. I stick with the dark chicken and I ate a lot of Wendy's Chili in the first few months. For some reason, it always goes down. Walmart has frozen Talapa that are individually packed. One filet cooked with Extra virg. olive oil and some lemon pepper season is great..... or get the low sodium cream Soup and pour some on top of fish..... like cream of mushroom. Slice Cajun turkey from the Deli is great.... have them shave it for you. I do turkey roll ups with pepper jack cheese, have them cut very thin... yummy. If you are having trouble still..... get some liquid Protein and mix in smoothie. I go to Sams and buy the pre-cut, frozen fruit and blend that with some yogurt and protein (no ice, frozen fruit enough cold). Protein is important, i didn't listen at first and lost a lot of hair in the process. Have you started exercising? Some type of movement is necessary for optimal weight loss. It took me a few months to get that thru my thick head.... So i started doing Zumba 2-3 x week..., treadmill and the elliptical (aka the devil).... Started slow and them add more time... YOU CAN DO THIS..... Don't get down on your self.... and don't compare yourself to others. Every bandster is different. You just do YOU.....