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I know that I can have a little of all those things. But there are other HEALTHY options I can have that would make more sense to eat. I'm not saying I won't have some pumpkin pie, but all she talked about was the fattening stuff. I can't have soda so hot chocolate was her replacement? Tea works well. I can't have prime rib so how about some pie? Au jus mixed with some mashed potatoes would be a better choice I think. Since you can't have the healthy yummy stuff, we'll make more pie options so you can have variety. It just seems like the healthy idea I'm going for flies right past her. I explained Soup and mashed and pureed and yogurt, and such and she says "oh great, sugary bad for you stuff." When her daughter was told by the Air Force that she couldn't gain any weight in the next 6 mos or she would have too high of a BMI for basic training, she went and bought all kinds of veggies and looked for low-fat, high-taste, low-carb, high excitement options. She told me about all kinds of great recipies she picked out for HER. She gets it for HER! She talked about replacing high cal Desserts with delish fruit options for HER. For me, candied yams, pie, and hot chocolate. I'll get over it. I just needed to vent. Thanks for listening. I'll not kill her. My skinny me will be all the justification I need. And despite her, I'll have a Merry Christmas!!! Steph

Line-dancer, Those are things that have saved me too. I really don't have any "bad" food in the house and on days when I am really hungry or just need something I reach for fruit, yogurt, Protein, Protein shake etc. A treat for me is a high Fiber whole grain cracker (WASA Light Rye - 30 calories) with some Laughing Cow cheese or extra fruit in my yogurt! A splurge is if I am making cauliflower mash and I add a spoonful of low fat sour cream and/or a little grated Parmesan cheese or a Weight Watchers Fudge Bar. Oh yeah, that's livin' large for me! No more chips and dip, ice cream sundaes, sub sandwiches, etc. At least now I know I'm not doing any major damage. The funny thing is now when I think something sounds really good and I take a taste - it doesn't taste as good as I remember so it's just not worth the calories to me. I keep wondering if they did something to my taste buds when they put me under for surgery!

I have been using Isopure creamy vanilla powder whey protien. I always blend it with ice and change the flavor by adding coffee, banana, any berries, yogurt or chocolate & skim milk. I haven't got tired of them yet and my husband & kids keep trying to drink them. I have to fight then off. This is way cheaper than the ready to drink cans & this big tub has lasted a month so far. Hope this helps. I am a nubie too. Stay focused.

1) when does your stomach area begin feel less swollen? About a week out for me. 2) what was the best stool softener that really made you go to the bathroom? I never had this issue post-op but I know my surgeon recommends Dulcolax + smallest adult dose of Milk of Magnesia. 3) how did you feel about wearing a compression binder? Positives? Negatives? Highly recommended, it really helped with the pain from moving around. 4) did anyone feel like they may of a had a bit of a tooth ache? No but I know it isn't unusual after general anesthesia -- sometimes the tube they use for your breathing knocks against your teeth. If it doesn't feel better after several days, you may want to get seen by your dentist to make sure something hasn't been knocked loose. 5) when you showered to you let your bandages get wet? Also when did you start showering without bandages? I didn't have bandages, my surgeon used surgical glue to close the incisions. I was allowed to shower (but not bathe) starting 24 hours after surgery, just advised to pat the incisions dry rather than rubbing at them with a towel. This all should have been included in your discharge instructions. If it wasn't, you may want to ask your surgeon or team for their specific instructions. 6) Did anyone have very itchy incisions? Yes, this means your incisions are healing quickly, it's all good. 7) how did you plan your purée diet and real food diet? How do you keep up the weight loss? (I'm really into meal prep, or I was in college until the very end when school became so much), I loved to know any Pinterest boards, or maybe you can post a picture of your sample menus of puréed diet, introduction to foods & maybe a sample menu of what you eat now after a couple of months since your sleeve Well, I'm three years out, not a couple of months. When I was on pureed I ate a lot of cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, scrambled & poached eggs, Ricotta bake, and refried Beans. I would also make little "micro-casseroles" -- a bit of meat and flavorful sauce, pureed, then heated up in the microwave with a little shredded cheese on top to melt. Things like chicken breast + marinara sauce + mozzarella cheese and ranch flavored tuna + fat free ranch dressing + Gruyere cheese or turkey breast + peanut satay sauce + jack cheese. The important thing in my team's plan is that ALL pureed food must be high Protein. 8) Has anyone experienced hair Loss? I've heard it's not so intense but it can make your hair look really thin. Any tips on shampoos or Vitamins or trick to keep your pre op hair?? Almost everyone experiences hair loss. Don't waste your money on shampoos or vitamins or magic potions to try to prevent it -- it either will happen or it won't. Save your money for things like Toppik, Nanogen, or a new hairstyle to camouflage the loss if it happens. PS I never had any back pain. I did have shoulder/collar bone pain from the surgical gas, but that was all gone within a day or so after surgery. I just walked a lot, sat upright (instead of lying down), rocked in a rocking chair, and used a heating pad. Good luck!

Clair, I'm in the same boat with you! Have no fear! LOL I've pretty much done the same thing as you. I'm supposed to be eatting the cream Soups, yogurt, pudding and such things but have tried some different things. So far so good. I think everyone cheats, it's really really hard not to want to take a bite of what everyone else is eatting! I've been told by my own surgeon's that if I was to eat something I couldn't handle I would know right away. Luckily enough that hasn't happened nor have I tried. My own post-op is set for tomorrow also, I'm sure once we both go the feeling of nervousness will start to fade! Good Luck to you!

I was told that vitamins could wait one week. As far as medication that couldn't, make sure they are broken up to be smaller than an mm candy and I would have them with yogurt. It will be easy in a couple days, just take the necessary ones till then.

I had to do the liquid diet twice the first time I was a week away from surgery and found out I jag kidney cancer. So after I had that taken care of I went on vacation came back and started the two week diet again I had to really press my way through because it was hard after eating good on vacation. Think about why toy have to do the diet do a shake 2 hrs. later do a yogurt then done Water them 2 hrs later do a piece of fruit have lunch or dinner then a snack at night. Yot want to make sure your liver is small because when you lose weight the liver lose weight as well and you want to make sure that the livery is out of the way and that it doesn't get harmed during surgery. Sent from my SM-G900T using the BariatricPal App

Today (following my monumental sobbing to my hisband) I’ve managed 200ml of water, a smooth banana yogurt, 1/2 a portion of a smooth pea soup comtaining protein & vitamins. I’ll take that. I’m going to try a peppermint tea for supper. Oh & I’ve had three trumps which I’m overjoyed about. #BabySteps

The liver shrinking thing is something of a debatable point within the bariatric community these days, with the current concensus being that no diet of a couple weeks makes a notable difference in the size of a diseased liver. What can be improved is the reduction of a slime coat that forms on the surface of a fatty liver, making it easier to handle for some. The normal protocol for this is a low carbohydrate diet, typically consisting of leaner meats and non-starchy vegetables. Some programs will substitute a meal or two per day with a protein shake to get patients used to them for their post-op world, but an all liquid diet provides no real benefit toward this goal. The surgeons who impose these all liquid diets seem to have something else in mind, but I have never found any good reference to it. It might be a belief in it helping get patients ready for weeks of post-op liquids that some use or may simply be a legacy of past practices ("that's the way we've always done it.") My experience has been that the surgeons who routinely do some of the most complex bariatric procedures and revisions generally don't need their patients to do these diets, even the very heaviest, implying that they're bringing tools and experiences to the table that negate the need for such pre-op treatment. These docs also tend to have more rapid post-op progressions as well, often starting with soft foods in the hospital or after only a few days of liquids rather than weeks; our info binder states that their experience has been that patients tend to do better the sooner they move from the supplements/shakes into real food. This is why I tend to look a program's pre- and post-op dietary practices as a window (one of several) on their skills and experiences. Congrats on your routine surgery and recovery, and keep up the sip,sip,sipping and the walkies! thanks, i can see your point....guess my research has not been that extensive, my dr. did tell me that they can tell by looking at the liver whether a person follows the diet or not and that many do not....but obviously the surgery still happened..for me doing the shakes before surgery, allowed me time for learning and experimenting what i liked and didnt....got so good at it, i can make a Protein Drink taste just as good as Mcdonalds shake and healthier...between a combo of unsweetened almond milk, ice, no sugar, no fat choco pudding (homemade w/ skim milk), nonfat, plain greek yogurt, vanilla protein powder...course right now, 6 days after surgery, i have omitted a few of these ingredients temporarily. Sent from my SM-S820L using the BariatricPal App

Well I used tescos own version of slimfast drinks but added yogurt to them in the blender. You can also buy Protein powder and add a scoop aswell. So for instance strawberry flavour shake, a strawberry low fat yogurt and a scoop of Protein Powder. The more protein the longer you feel full. They also have vanilla and chocolate ones. You can also buy complan in most supermarkets which is basically a build up drink but can be used as a sole source diet. I added protein powder to it. The protein powder can be bought cheaply at holland and barret etc Hope this helps :sneaky:

I made this last week. It was pretty good. It was like a little bit tangy, so I added some honey. My greek yogurt was plain and tasted like sour cream, but if you used a flavored one, it would be even better! I liked the mix of coconut and mini chocolate chips.

You should be allowed more than just protein shakes at 2 weeks post-op. I was allowed strained cream soups and yogurt as well at that point. You definitely want to get your calories higher as soon as you are able. Being that low for long is going to wreck you metabolism.

This Saturday May 3 will be two weeks since I was banded. I have really been feeling great, losing weight very easily and keeping liquids down with no problem. Today I had severe left shoulder pain, :wub: which has not happened after the first 4 days or so. I ended up taking a cup of coffee, adding frozen yogurt, protein powder and ice, mixing it up in the blender and drinking about 4 ounces of it, it totally helped me to pass the gas and go to the restroom. :thumbup: Is this normal? Has anyone else had this much gas at 2 weeks past surgery day? My stomach is sore at the port area as well. Is this normal? Other than that I truly feel great! I am happy to have had this surgery and very happy for changing my life. :thumbup:

Oh! Thanks! I hate crushing my multi and calcium. I started with applesauce and I have been using yogurt but my sleeve seems to be getting tired of that too. It is harder to get it down as the days go. I will be trying this!

Thanks all for the well wishes, I had it yesterday and everything went absloutely perfectly. And just for the record, because I've had a few replies like this, I know why the pre-op diet is so important which is why I was flipping out for having slipped up. Just like I said, it's like when I used to smoke and I KNEW that the cigarette was bad for me, but somehow I still made the decision to have one--a common problem, I understand. I'm happy to report that that one cup of Soup was my only non-clear liquids for 7 days and I told the nurse and nutritionist about it and they weren't concerned, but told me to get back on "the wagon". I lost somewhere between 10 and 16 lbs on that starvation diet (using three different scales so there's no way of really knowing). I'm now on full liquids for two weeks and couldn't be happier. Yay soup, applesauce and yogurt! I will never for the life of me understand how people can complain about a full liquid preop diet :thumbup:

Thanks for the tips. Once I’m off of clear liquids I will definitely be mixing with yogurt or SF pudding. Its so difficult right now as I can’t really drink a lot at one time. Can’t wait for this part to be over!

No but no other dairy bothers me so everyone told me the milk shouldn't be the problem. Yogurt and cheese all the time.

I'm 6 weeks post-op and transitioned to soft foods 3 weeks post-op. I've had very good luck with food, so I was cleared to eat what I could tolerate more quickly than other patients my surgeon has. Here's what I had yesterday, which is very typical for me: Breakfast: 2 ounces Cherry Dannon Light & Fit Greek Yogurt and 1 light string cheese. Lunch: 2 oz. of a Ranch flavored Starkist Tuna Creations pouch; 1 light string cheese; 1 ounce pears in Water. PM Snack: One Premier Protein shake (30g) Dinner: 2 oz. grilled turkey breast tenderloin marinated in 2 Tbsp. Fat Free Zesty Italian dressing, 1 ounce peas. I also drank 64 ounces of water during the day. It worked out to 531 calories and 84 grams of protein for the day. I am usually between 550 and 600 calories. My nutritionist is very happy with my food journal since surgery. Down 40 pounds in 6 weeks as of today. Good luck to you in the new year!

Thank you. I already implement done of those days into my diet, except for yogurt. My pouch no longer like yogurt sadly

How do you guys stay hydrated in beginning? I am worried I will get depredated. Im only 3 days post op. Im drinking , yesterday I had like 12 oz water and 2 popsicles and some yogurt. this was spread out throughout day.

B - 1/2 cup cottage cheese S - Greek yogurt L - chicken salad (1/4 to 1/2 cup) D - grilled chicken breast tenderloin with some kind of sauce to moisten it up S - if I need a snack, I might have some more cottage cheese (i use fatfree)

It's not unusual, but ... ... for me Day Five was the first day I got in 60 grams of Protein. You can do it with shakes, milk, and yogurt, if your surgeon allows you to drink those food products during Phase 1 post-op. Don't worry, you'll get there, but do try to get there as soon as you can.

You can freeze premier protein drinks to make ice cream. The World According to Eggface has recipes. I just didn't do "Scooby Snacks". I didn't want to reinforce the habit that was highly responsible for getting me to the Obesity Ball in the first place. To me that's the definition of insanity. So I never "planned" for snacks. But still--I'm human. Snacks DO happen. So when they did I tried to make them protein only, less than 100cals, > or = 10g protein...and rather than call it snacking or grazing, I tried to keep them as mini meals. Six mini meals a day on a schedule and no snacking in between. My mini meals were like @AZhiker's minimeals: Hard Boiled Egg Deviled Egg Turkey Frigo Light Cheese Rollup or a Boar's Head Lacy Swiss and Turkey rollup String cheese Greek yogurt with PB2 powder in it and Walden Farm Syrup Cottage Cheese with a tbsp of applesauce (or now, berries) Protein Drink Tuna Pouches Tuna Salad (made with cottage cheese and hard boiled egg and Greek yogurt and Dijon and dill relish)--also good with canned chicken and salmon. Egg Salad (made the same way as the tuna salad without the dill relish). I tried really hard not to feed the sweet tooth or the inner carb monster with sweet treats or crunchy snacks. But I would use Kraft 2% Deli Deluxe slices and would make cheese crackers to eat the tuna salad and egg salad. Later on down the road when you can have raw veggies, radish and cucumbers are great "crackers".

I agree with @@Kindle on whey isolate Protein supplements, usually about 25-30 grams per serving. During the first few weeks I think it is Water, Vitamins, and protein, in that order. It is really important to stay hydrated. Mix in Greek yogurt and you can up your protein intake. I had to learn to like it, but it is a high protein food.

I was told 20g protein per hour is the limit. I drink pure protein protein powder. Very affordable and tastes dare I say good! Each scoop is 25g protein so i pour 1 scoop along with 1c skim milk for 33 g protein total. I drink that over 3 hours. Then I have a Greek yogurt food 15g protein total over 2 sittings. 48 g so far. I'll have more protein drink, about 1/2 serving for 15 g more and I'm almost at minimum. Then I'll randomly fill in the rest, I had a bit of fish, milk and chicken last night.