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I did a little test on my sleeve. I took a 6 ounce container of yogurt and ate till I was full. I could hold 5 ounces so I measure my food and make sure it weighs less than 5 ounces. I know this doesn't apply to all food because some food is dense and it's more about volume than weight but it gives me a good idea..and when I follow it, I never overstuff myself. Hope this helps.

Oh Amanda PMS sweet tooth! I've been putting pumpkin purée, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg and vanilla extract oh and stevia into my Greek yogurt! Yummy and funny enough no one else in the house wants any??

Thank you !!! That gives me some serious leads. Oikos Triple Zero Greek yogurt and Quest bars are big favorites already. Glad to know they'll be staples.

I really like this woman's site and blog - she has come up with some marvelous recipes that I look forward to trying: http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/ Here are two I found there: 1) Shelly's Dill & Onion Tuna Salad 1 can (5 oz.) Albacore Tuna 2-3 Tablespoon Greek Yogurt, plain several dashes of Dried Dill dash of Oregano 2 Green Onions, diced fine Salt & Pepper to taste Mix till well blended. 2) http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2009/10/terrific-tuna-salad.html

I stayed away from most dairy because I am lactose intolerant, so I ate alot of the following during my pureed (mushy) stage: refried beans hummus deviled ham corned beef hash pureed turkey chili scrambled eggs pureed chicken breasts smashed avocado (to moisten the chicken) mashed potatoes pureed squash Lactaid cottage cheese (found in health food/specialty stores) yogurt (but very little, i tried soy yogurt but did not care for it) would often top some of these items with a little cheddar cheese for flavor I actually found this stage harder than liquids, but luckily your real close to starting soft foods. I wish you well.

I felt the same way and my doctor told me if i had to eat anything to make sure it was cream of chicken or a yogurt. Also, i am diabetic, so going without food was a no-no for me. i still was able to loss almost 17 pounds before my surgery. I only needed the soup for day 2, 3, and 4...........and back to the liquids again. You should do fine. Don't give up and good luck.

I am VERY VERY PALE!! I am wondering if anyone else is white as a ghost??? Is this normal?? When I went to Walmart today, I took my bp and it was like 110/54 which is very low for me. I felt very light headed and had to go sit in the car. I have been pale since Wednesday (sleeved Monday). I am taking my vitamins and drinking my fluids. Moved to full liquids yesterday and mainly having decaf tea, isopure, grits, yogurt, sugar free pudding and unjury chicken broth. I don't have a problem keeping anything down and am doing well with walking. I did start my period as well on Wednesday and wonder if this is why I am so pale?? As I had just finished having one a week before my surgery and am doing it again! Also, isn't our stomach located on the left?? My main incision is on the right! Just above my belly button to the right! That is the biggest one and the one that hurts the most. I think that is where my stomach was taken from. Does that seem weird??? Just wondering if anyone else's was that way. It burns really bad inside when i walk and when I roll over in bed. Thanks for listening! Kelly

Congratulations! I understand that not tracking seems to be working well for you, but how do you know whether or not you are getting enough Protein? Just curious. My surgeon suggests only 40-50 g of protein a day so it's really easy to get into that ballpark without obsessing over grams. A cup of yogurt, a handful of nuts, Collegen powder in a green smoothie or a cup of coffee and some cheese usually does the job.

I was always told to be on liquids for 24 hours and then progress to mushies... like applesauce, yogurt, cottage cheese. Maybe you are starting out with too solid of a food and it is still too swollen to tolerate that? What are your doctors food instructions after a fill? I would call. Its better to have to get a small unfil and work your way up to restriction than to be so restricted you cant get any food in.

Listen to the professionals Doriana. In my opinion....if they are instructing you to do something then there must be a very good reason for it. We can tell you whatever you want to hear......but you should be talking, and listening, to the professionals who are conducting your procedure. I was banded at TLBC in TO. I had to follow the pre-op for 2 weeks in order to reduce the amount of fat around my liver and stomach....it was explained to me that this was to help make the procedure easier and safer. I don't like cottage cheese so I had a real problem with the fast. My husband is a Chef and he helped me. Everyday he would make me cottage cheese and low fat yogurt smoothies. 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1/2 cup yogurt, 1/2 to 1 cup ice, and 1 - 2 packets of sweetner (to taste) Everyday was a different flavour...sometimes he would add real vanilla, or a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder, or a couple of tablespoons of unsweetened jam......he would whip the heck out of it in the blender until it reached a nice smooth thick consistency of a smoothie......I SWEAR...IT WAS LIKE DRINKING liquid CHEESECAKE! Give it a try, it helps. But please, the Drs plan is for a reason, don't second guess them and do as they request. Good Luck Carol

Hello, I will be banded on Nov. 23rd. This morning I had cottage cheese for Breakfast and will replace one meal a day till about 5 days till my pre-diet start. I know a few of you have been banded at the T.O. Lap Band clinic. How important is this pre-diet... they say we could only have cottage cheese, low fat yogurt (I'm assuming the one's with fruit are okay as long as it's sweented with splenda or alike) Hubby is on the pre diet right now since his surgery is a week before mine. He's having a very hard time with it. Is it normal to have diaherra? (sp?) Is it okay to take a multi-Vitamin? (They say yes, but I wanted to make sure) Do you get over the headaches? This is why I thought I better try to replace one meal a day, so my body gets used to this pre-diet phase. Also, I've read alot of different threads and people are given a very different diet for pre-op? What's this all about? Wouldn't it be the same diet for this Lap Band procedure? I'm just a little afraid of the thought of passing out one day... I know I won't, but I was just worried about it, since I"m so used to eating throughtout the day... (I guess this is why I got to be this big)....:think Anyways, if anyone could send some more advice on this pre-diet phase, or just somes words or wisdom................ Thanks for listening. Doriana.

Smooth ice cream and frozen yogurt are indeed full liquids. If you're progressed on to that portion of the postop diet (and off clear liquids), this is not a problem at all. You may get more calories than you want, of course, so don't be surprised if you don't lose as quickly as those who don't add calories this way, but it's all good.

actually I did read it but that's not what's happening to me. I WOKE UP like this and hadn't eaten anything when I felt it. This has been going on since 6:30 this morning come to think of it and I didn't eat anything until around 8:30 which was the yogurt that I mentioned.

Try it in yogurt! !! Sent from my SM-N910P using the BariatricPal App

I am 10 months out. I eat a lot of protein but add in fruits and veggies. Every morning a eat a banana/strawberry smoothie or small yogurt. I notice that I don't lose much weight for the week or month if I have eaten bread products or potatoes. If I go back to just eating meat, fruits and veggies, I will drop again. I would be happy to give you recipes for food options if you need help. Just send me a message.

Breakfast is grab and go: Protein shake or bar Snack: Greek yogurt or 1 oz mixed nuts Lunch: lean Protein with veggie side (like chicken and broccoli) Snack: string cheese, sometimes with a few crackers Dinner: mini pizza (lo carb tortilla, turkey pepperoni etc) or some variation of lean protein and a veggie. I average around 800 cals.

Quite a few people have asked me about my experience at Mexico Bariatric Center in Tijuana and I want to share the entire experience as it was extremely hard for me to get a full review from the last year or so. I also wish I would’ve written this on day 3 and not day 7 as the farther away from your surgery date you get the more romanticized the process is. That being said, here is everything that I know. It is a bit long, but for those of you who want all the facts, here is my experience. I reached out to MBC on the 3rd of January and by the 5th of January I was already e-mailing back and forth with Kristi. I completed the patient questionnaire online and was approved within 12 hours. From then on, I was on a text string with Kristi asking questions about the process, getting my personal loan approved (I went through Discover as I’m paying mine off of in 8 months), and scanning in photos of my passport and flight itinerary. Scheduling was SO EASY and I was scheduled to fly in on Wednesday, January 17th and fly out on Sunday, January 22nd. I was 260, 5'4'' and had a BMI of 45, and my pre-op diet started on January 11th-14th, and my 2 days of liquids were the 15th and 16th. I was not perfect, but I did do pretty well for those 6 days. As for choosing a surgeon everyone has different opinions on their process. They have 4 different surgeons who operate out of Mi Doctor hospital in Tijuana and to me, I wasn’t tied to any specific person. The most experienced surgeon of course will have a higher coast, but when dealing with your life few people care about an extra 500 dollars. I was set with Dr. Rodriguez who is the newest of the group, but I am always of the opinion that the newer the team member the harder they work and the newer their techniques are. In all, with my flight, 2 extra nights at the hotel for my companion, 2 nights in the hospital, surgery, all follow up, all medicine, and ride to and from the airport/through the border my surgery cost me about 5,500. Being that my research in Dallas, Texas was going to be at least 12,500 + unforeseen costs (thank you anesthesia) *I also had a 650 revision charge as I had the lapband in and out in 2014 and 2017. I flew in early on the 17th and landed in San Diego Int’l around 10:30. Victor was already waiting for me and another person, so the 4 of us were driven through the border check point. It was about a 30 minute process and he had lots of great advice for us as we went. We were dropped off at the hospital which looks like a typical hospital. No, it’s not the multi-million dollar facility you see in big cities, but let’s be real—do you pay for good care or do you pay for the look of a building? Don’t let that influence a decision. When I arrived there were about 4 people outside in gowns and about 30 cars that lined the street. The hospital is older but well kept, and they have a small café downstairs for your companion. Once there, we were pulled all over the place. They ran an EKG to make sure your heart is healthy, pulled about 4 vials of blood, and had you sign a few pages making you aware of the risks/possible outcomes. Then you meet briefly with someone to zero your balance and tell you when you are scheduled to come in (typically the following day, typically between 7 and 10 in the morning). Then they shuttle you to the hotel. All in all that took me about an hour in total. The hotel is very nice, clean, and a place I would choose to stay again if in Mexico. I splurged for the 2 nights for my boyfriend so he could work from the hotel room and it was wonderful to have that as homebase. The hotel offers you as many cups of broth and cups of jello as you want—as that’s all you can eat at that point!—and then they take your luggage to your room and you are left to your own devices. The beds are okay—I have a temperpedic so nothing so the same J but the hotel has a full kitchen, all utensils, a TV with English channels (find Cinecinal), and great wi-fi. I woke up the next day and took my suitcase with me. They shuttled me and 2 other people and took us up to our room by about 8:30 with a surgery time of 10-11. I will say one thing MBC gets things done. It’s a business, so don’t forget that—and there are what seems to be dozens of people coming in and out of different stages as the days go on. That being said, you get incredible care and there are always people to help, support, or answer questions. You are taken to your room, which is something I’ve never had in an American hospital (it had always been a bed and a curtain), that has a bed, maybe a 2nd one for your companion, a table, shower, bathroom, sink, and mirror. They take your vitals and have you change into a gown and put on those awful compression socks. Then you wait. I spoke with the internal medicine doctor, my surgeon, and multiple nurses. They put in my IV which sucks but hey, it’s part of the process! By 9:30 they were wheeling me back to the operating room. I didn’t have my glasses on so I could see very little, but it was a small operating room down the hall with about 5-7 people. They have you step up onto the operating table and ask you a few questions. If you don’t speak Spanish expect to be lost—I speak a little so I could kind of follow along but remember, you are in MX not the US. There was no countdown, no reminders, just I was listening and then I was out. Next thing I knew I was waking up next to 3 people in the recovery room. Personally, I HATE waking up from anesthesia. I hate it. I always panic because I don’t have my glasses, and everything is fuzzy. This was even harder because I couldn’t see and couldn’t understand anything. I remember very little during this time, but was back in my room/my bed by noon. From then on it was extremely fuzzy. I was tethered to an IV rod, and while I wasn’t in pain because of the medications, I wasn’t feeling that great. I had to sleep on my back which I hate, the pillows are not comfortable at all, and I felt really alone. Again, this is my extreme hate for anesthesia manifesting, not a reflection on the hospital. The nurses were wonderful and came in every hour, kept a monitor on, brought me ice chips when I needed them, and kept the lights off/door shut so I could rest. I let my boyfriend come over at 4 o’clock and they tell you to use your spirometer to work on breathing – AND USE IT! Every hour for about 5-10 minutes I would be sucking into that thing. It hurts. A lot, but it infinitely helps your recovery process. I used it every hour from 4 o’clock on the 18th until I left on Sunday the 22nd and by then nothing in my body hurt. Worth it. Do it. In addition, they tell you to walk as much as possible because it helps the process AND IT DOES. Walk, often. I set up my IV rod in the middle of my room and walked around the bed, bathroom, wall, etc. every hour or two for about ten minutes. I would sit in the chair and use the spirometer. I’d walk up and down the hall a few times a day. Yes, you should recover and sleep as much as you need, at the same time the more ambulatory you are the better off you will be. The nurses checked on my every hour on day one. I was NOT happy. It hurts to breathe, it hurts to move, and it hurt to sleep on my side which I’m so used to doing. Because I slept away the day I was up every hour or so during the night. I threw up twice because of the pain medication and doing that after having your stomach cut is never fun. I cried, quite a few times, but slept away most of the day. The nurses brought pain medication every 6 hours and nausea meds every 8. Antibiotics were given at different intervals—all of this made my IV and my arm very cold which was uncomfortable, but I left healthy and pain free so I can’t complain too much. They changed my bandages once at the hospital and I changed them one at the hotel. After having the lap-band in and out, I already had a handful of scars on my stomach so I wasn’t much worried about scaring. That being said, the incisions they made were TINY and so perfect. I had 4 small incisions, none larger than ¾ of an inch, and one small vertical incision where the port/drain tube was stitched in. I am 7 nights out and tonight I took off my bandages as all of the incisions have scabbed over and are healing perfectly. I am IMPRESSED and so happy that I chose Dr. Rodriguez. Friday the 20th, the day after my surgery, was better, a million times better, but it was also hard in its own right. They changed the bandages, my IV was ruined so they had to use my other hand and my veins were tiny and easy to miss, and they removed the drain which was a blessing and a curse. After surgery you have a long tube (I think 1-2 feet?) inserted into your body to drain excess fluid. They tape it to your side, stitch it in, and connect it to a plastic draining cup that they dump every few hours. It is a big source of discomfort on day one and two, and is SO WERID when they remove it. It really didn’t hurt to remove it and it happens so fast. Don’t watch it. It’s gross. At the end of the 2nd night they gave me liquid medication to help me sleep and it was GLORIOUS. Between having the drain tube out, being on day two of recovery, and getting a full night’s sleep I felt ready to leave the hospital. On day two they also give you small bottles of Gatorade, water, and apple juice. Try to drink 1 oz every hour as you need to feel what your stomach feels like with such small pieces at a time. I thought I would be hungry after not eating anything for 5 days, but my hunger hormone was pretty much nonexistent. It was amazing. The doctor discharged me that morning after checking on me and answering all of my questions, and I was shuttled to the hospital with about 5 other people. Again, this is a business so expect to have multiple people/companions with you any time you are outside of your hotel or hospital room. By Sunday at 9 a.m. I was back in the hotel and ready to relax. I felt good. I was drinking 6 oz of fluid every hour, I had to pee every hour, and was excited to sleep on my side in my ‘own’ bed for the day. My boyfriend and I walked down to the pharmacy (which is located in the hotel) and picked up cleaning soap and medical tape, and then walked to the Wasabi restaurant. They have amazing miso broth and amazing shitake mushroom broth. I was excited to feel normal after 48 hours of the hospital. He had seafood soup, lol. I wasn’t hungry, but the shrimp looked good! I slept and read for most of Saturday and was in bed with the lights out by 8 o’clock. I felt fine, took a shower that day, and was still using my spirometer while walking around the hotel room/hotel floor. I cannot state enough how kind and helpful the hotel staff was—it is like they are an extension of the hospital as they have lots of the information you need. At 11 o’clock on Sunday we were packed and ready to go. The driver came to pick 7 of us up and drove us through the medical lane across the border. All in all it took about 45 minutes to go from the hotel through the check point. We passed with no issues. From there, it was another 15 minutes to the airport and we were off! My plane left about 3:30 so I sat and watched a football game while drinking water and cranberry juice. I still wasn’t hungry, but I was missing the act of eating/drinking. That part so far is the hardest. I flew back with a little nausea and a slight headache though I hate flying almost as much as I hate anesthesia—so that could be chalked up to me and not the surgery. I took Monday off not because I felt I needed to but because I needed to do all the life things I didn’t do while in Mexico. By Tuesday I was back at work without any issues and my coworkers/family have no idea where I spent my long weekend J I was drinking 65 oz of fluids by day 5, and was drinking creamy fluids by day 6. I have also easily tolerated soft foods (soups w noodles, yogurt, etc.) as well as a few tough foods (granola, protein cookie). My incisions are healed completely without any issues, and I have lost 17 pounds since in 3 weeks. The coolest (and weirdest) thing is that I feel full. I chew/swallow slowly and am full after a small portion. I don’t feel hungry often, and when my stomach does ache it is typically because I haven’t drank my 8 oz of water for that hour. After 20 years of over eating and storing food and buying fast food to eat it quickly I am weirded out by this new process and it has only been a week. I’m excited for what is to come J I hope this (incredibly long) 2500 word essay was helpful and clear. I would absolutely without a doubt recommend MBC and will gladly answer any questions you may have!

Yes, as long as you puree it. You will get lots of protein with both the tuna and the egg.. Try adding a little plain greek yogurt instead of mayo and you will get even more protein! I usually just use the mayo, but I thought I'd pass that along because I've heard of other ppl doing it. :-)

Stop eating junk food. Why on earth would you do that? You had major surgery to try to help you get healthy - not just to lose weight and still eat total crap... time to get your head on straight, because this will hurt your health if you continue this path!! Losing weight because you are basically starving yourself is going to have serious consequences - you'll lose your hair, your skin and nails will look awful and you're going to be exhausted and have major Vitamin deficiency. You're losing muscle mass as well without enough Protein and other food building blocks. Proteins like fish, chicken, eggs, low fat dairy (yogurt, cottage cheese, skim milk). Then healthy veggies - avocado, Beans, green leafy stuff, broccoli/cauliflower, squash... there are TONS of things to eat that are good and good for you. Health fats if there is any room: cook with coconut oil, olive oil, try guacamole, hummus... light mayo can be added to some canned chicken or tuna (and I add in green onion and some spices) for an easy and protein packed meal. Try to eat something like a boiled or scrambled egg with a little shredded cheese on it for Breakfast. Drink a glass of milk or have a container of (low sugar - maybe try greek) yogurt an hour or so later. Fix a bunch of chicken breasts (using spices and citrus) so you don't have to think when it's time for a meal - have one of those with some veggies. Anything is better than what you're doing! What is your doctor/nutritionist saying about your horrible diet so far? Because they should be really, really concerned and trying to give you better menu plans to work with... otherwise start looking on here and online for decent sleeve menu/recipes ASAP.

--Get a MyFitnessPal account and a kitchen scale and practice weighing your food and logging it faithfully --Practice not drinking with meals or for 30 minutes after --Find a therapist/behavioral psychologist who specializes in working with weight loss surgery patients and start working on your specific issues and strategies to deal with them --Read all of these boards -- not just the pre-op boards, but the post-op boards, the general discussion boards, the success stories, to learn what you can expect, so you won't be surprised when, for example, you stop losing weight for a couple of weeks when you are 3 weeks post-op, your stomach makes weird noises, or you can eat yogurt more quickly than you thought you'd be able to after surgery. Good luck!

I get the feeling I decided to introduce myself to foods slow I'm on my third week but I started eating "regular foods last week I would eat very soft chewable foods like tuna canned chicken yogurt cottage cheese but now I'm eating stuff like baked fish mushrooms potatoes and so on I would definite be careful when eating tho I've gotten a piece of turkey stuck not a good feeling chew chew chew

Bee - I've ALWAYS said that if there wasn't life after dinner, I would be thin!! Night demons.......shared by SO many of us Since being banded, I've found that anything made with ground meat is best; ground turkey, lamb, beef, etc. One of my staples (I make it at least once a week): 1 pound of ground beef or turkey - browned with a little salt, pepper & garlic powder, drained of excess fat. I mix in one can of Rosarita traditional refried Beans, and once can of black beans (I do not drain the liquid from the black beans.....it keeps the whole thing more moist) Mix this all together in the pot, heat through, and enjoy! This is my new comfort food, and it's high in protein, and low in fat/calories. I eat about 1/2 to 2/3 of a cup. That's all I need. This past week I browned a pound of ground lamb (same way as above), but added chopped onion. Then I added a can of cream of mushroom Soup, mushrooms, and some cooked quinoa. It was REALLY good! Sometimes, I'll make some Pasta sauce with a pound of ground turkey or beef, and I'll eat my usual 1/2-2/3 cup without pasta. You can be very creative with ground meat, and I've found it to be very "band friendly". I'm pretty good about putting all of my food into MyFitnessPal. It's amazing how quickly daily calories add up, and the program keeps me on track; not only with calories, but with my daily protein intake. I keep that to a minimum of 60 grams, up to about 85 (sometimes more, depending on the day). A suggestion for evenings.... My doctor is completely against eating anything at night. I understand why, but it's not realistic for me. I'm going to eat a snack at night, whether I'm hungry or not. It's just not something I'm going to give up......like a baby that needs that last bottle before bedtime My suggestion is, when logging your calories for the day, make sure to leave a little bit for night time. Allow yourself that one thing, but don't eat it too early after dinner. Make yourself wait, so when you're done, you're not that far from bedtime. For me, that can be some Greek yogurt or an Atkins bar (one of the 130 calorie ones......tastes just like a Snickers). Some small, under 180 calorie snack. That way I don't feel deprived, and that need for my "last bottle" has been satisfied - LOL! I've been able to alter SO many things since being banded, but the evening snack isn't one of them. And I'm okay with it, even though it's against "doctor's orders". My calories are in check, and so am I Another idea - though I haven't done it yet, is to make ground meat meals in muffin tins. My friend is hooked on them, and I've read some on here as well. Another way to make a few measured meals at one time, that lasts a few days.

I used to make this every weekend for the week for us. It's old-fashioned oatmeal (not quick cooking, not steel-cut, but in between for level of processing), with greek yogurt and fruit. High in Protein, complex carbs and no cook. Woo hoo! Basic recipe at our house for each serving was is 1/2 c oatmeal, 1/2 c greek yogurt, 1/2 c of soy/almond/regular Milk, honey or stevia to taste, 1/4 c either blueberries, or raspberries. Don't use bananas which brown. Multiply times days you want to have this. Mix together in a bowl, put into 2 c mason jars so it can expand. The oats soak up all the yogurt and liquid. Leave in refrigerator at least overnight. Does well up to 5 days for sure. Enjoy! My 13-year old was in charge of making it, so talk about easy. This link shows you other ways to make it for flavors: http://www.theyummylife.com/Refrigerator_Oatmeal

I need help and ideas on what to eat?? Tomorrow will be my second out six nutrition class and I am already going crazy on what to eat.. I received paperwork listed with things I can have , but I can't buy them right now. For the past month I have been eating nothing but chicken, fish, oatmeal, boiled eggs, and light ant fit Greek yogurt. I find myself getting bored eating the same things over and over again. Oh I have had salad and salmon too! I lost 6lbs doing what I am doing and happy with the results, just that if I eat chicken for lunch I don't want it for dinner! My plan allows me to eat 3 out 5 food categories, with no fruit it carbs after lunch or dinner. I just have to make sure I am eating my Protein. I need some food ideas so can you please post me some good things to try other than the usual or a way I can be creative with what I eat. I really really want this to work . Thanks to everyone in advance ! I feel like a lost puppy.

he wanted me to "aggressively move to solids" yeah i thought i was supposed to be on mushy stuff for the second week atleast. i went straght from liquids the first week to solids. they didnt want me having any liquid calories after a week. including yogurt!! i've been fine no real pain or anything i dont think anything has gotten stuck. no puking or anything either. my diet is meats cheeses nuts peanutbutter ect. not supposed to really eat fruits or veggies cuz of the carbs.. idk he doesnt give great detailed instructions and i'm a shy person especially when it comes to talking to drs. so i feel kinna lacking in instructions. i mean hes good hes been doing this for 11 or so years and has awards and several practices, i just feel like i'm the only one on here on this diet.