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Sorry to hear about your problems. Some people become temporarily lactose intolerant. Can you try some lactose free milk? We have this in the UK http://www.lactofree.co.uk/ and there must be something similar in the US. You could try yogurt as a lot of people who have problems with lactose do OK with fermented products (that includes cheese too). I'd try just half a small yogurt to see how you go. I have IBS and I have a relative with crohns, so I sympathize with you. You could also try your protein drinks with water. If you still have problems it could be the protein powder itself giving you issues. I never did protein drinks as they make too unwell (cramps, bloating, etc). You should be OK to get your protein from real food now as you're nearly a month out. Just make sure you chew, chew, chew (fish will be easier on your new sleeve if chicken doesn't sit well just yet). All the best.

I guess that, other than dairy, I would say that I don't use much of them, but then I don't use a lot of products that have SF or low fat alternatives. My basic essentials are skim milk and nonfat greek yogurt. I avoid things that are intensely artificially sweetened since they tend to have too much of the fake sugar quality about them. I don't drink much tea anymore since we're not drinking with meals, but when I did, I usually used the Equal or Splenda provided; if only saccarin was available then I used regular sugar, but I was never sweetening to the extent of most of the pre-packaged sweetened teas. The yogurt use is a blend of real and fake sweetener - I'm not fond of plain yogurt, but most of the commercially flavored yogurts are too sweet for my taste, and other than Trader Joes, the only nonfat flavored yogurts I find at the markets are all artificially sweetened, and too intensely fake sweetened at that. I make a blend of plain and (real) sweetened vanilla nonfat greek yogurts (3 to 1 ratio these days, down from 2 to 1) with some vanilla extract and Splenda or stevia added to taste, and that works well for me. I think that the mayo, or miracle whip or whatever we have is the light version, but I haven't used any of it since surgery. I do use the lower fat salad dressings generally, but don't agonize over it at restaurants - I generally get what I prefer rather than forcing myself into their token lowcal offering (unless that one is to my liking to start with) and get it served on the side since I prefer my salads on the drier side, at least relative to the places the glop on lots of dressing. The only other place where I use a marketed SF version is with the SF puddings - that knocks about 2/3 of the calories out of the mix, and leaves lots of room to boost the nutritional value of it by adding some Protein powder and greek yogurt to the mix. This brings the protein count up into the 11-12g per half cup serving with about 100 calories, which is a pretty good trade off, and has enough complexity to its flavor blend that the SF aspect of it isn't noticed, but the missing 70 calories is useful at the end of the day, either by keeping the daily caloric total in check or by adding some other essential nutrition to the daily score. In short, I seek high nutritional density while minimizing energy (caloric) density within the bounds of sane taste. I have been adapting/evolving my tastes and preferences for several years to this end, and the surgery has now helped drop the volume to the point where I can actually lose again. I want to continue to keep the fats (saturated fats in particular) and simple carbs under control for the long term and not get into the "I'm having so little that it doesn't matter" mindset as overall calories and good dietary (and exercise) habits are essential in the long run to keeping the weight off once it has been lost. As with the bands and RNY, weight regain is going to be the major long term challenge for many of us VSGers, even if most are still in the honeymoon phase and don't realize it yet.

thank you for this. i do make better choices ( most of the time) heehee. But if i do get hungry i will usually eat more protein or greek yogurt or something like that.

I LOVE greek yogurt and eat it several times a day. My advice though, do not eat it plain! Most people try it and say they don't like it, but if they are eating it plain, it is not that great. I love that it is nice and thick and has lots of Protein. I always sweeten mine with flavored stevia (usually vanilla) and a splash of sugar free Torani syrup. Sometimes I add a few almonds and chocolate chips, sometimes I sweeten with lemon stevia and add raspberries, YUMMY! I would avoid the sweetened ones though. If you read the label, they are sweetened with sugar (most of the time) and very high in carbs and sugars. They might tasted delicious, but they defeat the purpose of something so healthy. I also recommend reading the label. If it says any other than milk, cream, and bacterial cultures, it is not true greek yogurt. Some companies add fillers like whey protein concentrate, corn starch, and Gelatin to thicken the yogurt instead of straining it, which is the true way to make greek yogurt. You can also make your own by straining plain yogurt, like someone said. I have also made my own using milk and a starter (a few tablespoons of plain yogurt for the bacteria). If you google it, you find recipes. It is really easy, just a little time consuming (hurry up and wait kind of recipe!)

Restriction for me stayed pretty consistent for the first 3-4 months. I started eating more higher fat foods to get my losing to slow down because I was already within 25-30 pounds within my goal weight. I noticed I could eat more slider foods, but dense Protein was still only about 3oz. Around 8-9 months I hit my sleeve capacity, and it's remained the same since then. I still max out at 3-6oz of dense protein foods. Scallops, soft meats like duck, I can get in about 5-6oz, steak about 4-5oz, chicken I'm still pretty restricted to 3-4oz. NOW, with all that being said, if I add any type of condiment (commonly called food lube) I can fit a bit more in. Add anything bready, like a wrap, or some of a dinner roll, some mashed potatoes in between bites of my meat, cheese, I can fit in a few more bites. The first mushy meals I was really restricted to about 3oz of stuff like yogurt, sugar free pudding, refried Beans, etc etc. But, I was able to move up to less liquified mushies within a couple of weeks, and tolerated them well. It just takes time. Drinking warm fluids, especially herbal decaf tea, was a major help with relaxing my sleeve before eating.

I am surprised at how much I can eat sometimes. then other times I barely get down 1/4 cup of broth. I am trying to live by the moto of eat healthy and what the family is eating minus bread/starches of any kind. so yesterday I ate 1 scrambled egg-Breakfast then mandrian orange snack and lunch was 1/4 of spinach and 1 babybell cheese and snack was some pepperonis (5 slices) then dinner was 1/4 cup of pad thai. when Iam eating it I am feeling like OMG that is a ton of Food but then I lay it out in my fitness pal ticker and see it is less then 600 calories. so if you evaluate the calories really you have only consumed about 200 calories. if you are chewing throughly (to baby food like consistancy) and eating VERY slowly ( 20 or more minutes) then 200 calories is not at all bad. try greek yogurt instead of pudding for more protien. the Dannon seems the best to me. How is your energy and weightloss going? can you drink morethen 4 oz of Liquids at a time? talk soon, Mel

:)Sometimes it can take a while for the band to tighten-that's normal. Be careful eating too many mushy type foods. I can eat ice cream and it feels good, but it's not good for me (they call this eating around the band). I went on a cruise and couldn't eat mostthing, but thos umbrella drinks sure went down without a problem. The key is to plan your meals ahead on time. Mornings are usually tough for bandsters so enjoy a nice cup or tea to help smooth the band. Have oatmeal, yogurt or really moist foods. At lunch maybe a cup of soup and you can add some meat (chicken) or make a tuna salad on crackers. Get a protein shake in if you aren't getting the right amount of protein in. Take your vitamins at this stage too. For dinner try not to reheat food as it tends to be dry-stay away from pasta and carbs. Fish works well for me or seafood items. The trick is to eat very small amounts and tune into what works for you. Try to get your sleep in-it's really important to your overall heath. Best wishes!

I swore to myself I wouldn't be one of those posters who whines about ONLY losing ______ pounds. "I lost 52 pounds the first two months, but only 12 this month. I was really hoping to weigh less than my cat by now. " Well, I'm whining. It's a week after surgery and I've lost 2 pounds. While I'm sure this is not uncommon, I can't seem to find any supporting evidence to that end. Stalls seem to make their first appearance, for the most part, in the second and third weeks after surgery. Also, I'm full of gas. More gas than I had two days after surgery. I can't seem to take a sip of anything without swallowing three times as much air. And it won't come out. If I tied a basket to my feet, I could probably give balloon rides over the breathtaking Oregon coast (note to self: possible future career?). I'm just crabby. Nothing's working the way it should and everyone else is to blame. I keep having these practice confrontations with make-believe opponents in which I am angrily defending myself in imaginary scenarios. These things that haven't happened are making me very upset. And my mom moved my $h!t around while I was in Mexico. And did my laundry (which was a very nice thing to do, but also implies my incompetence, right?). And bought the wrong kind of yogurt. And I don't want to take Anatomy and Physiology from that @$$ho!e who won't let me change lab times, even though my schedule only permits me to take the online class but not the online class's lab. Oh, it's my responsibility to free my schedule up so you don't have to deal with the grading "nightmare", as you put it, of dealing with students in labs they aren't registered for? I suppose I should apologize for being the ONE student at Southwestern Oregon Community College who's ever gone for her second Master's? (statistic not confirmed) Really, Mr. "I don't even have a Master's! Just a Bachelor's in Biology and a f**king chiropractic certificate"!!! SERIOUSLY???? Maybe I just won't become a nurse practitioner. That'll show him. And this website won't even let me curse. I have to use fµck¡n8 §Ymb@[$!!! First Amendment, anyone? And my dog is stinky.

Unfortunately... you will always be able to get the "not good for you food" down. chips, ice cream, Cookies, candy.... all go down very very easy! So the trick is to "fill up" on protien so you don't eat that stuff. Oh, you are just getting started, I'm not judging you. Trust me we all struggle with this. It takes will power. But when you start to see the weight come off it will encourage you to keep plugging along! If I buy junk food. I eat it. I don't have the control if it is in my house so I try to not have anything in the house. Find healthy alternatives. Like Oikos key lime greek yogurt. I hated all yogurt. OMG I'm obsessed. It is better than a Milkyway! Seriously... I pick that over any of the crap I used to eat. Like eating the center out of a key lime pie! I'm sort of out of control with it!!! But it's good for me! Still... everything in moderation but it is my guilty pleasure! Restriction will help, no doubt about it. Good Luck!

Hi everyone---once again, thank you more than I know how to say for the continued prayers for my family and my little Kinsey in particular. It seems that is was just an everyday gastro intestinal virus that was especially vicious, and contagious, as it has now taken 4 generations of us (my Mom is now sick) down in less than a week. No one else who was at the anniversary has been ill, so thankfully I did not poison everyone. Most of us have been hit hard, and recovered about as quickly, not so with Kinsey. Her case has left her with issues in the colon. Her colon is inflamed, and non reactive. It is not allowing food to enter, so there is no absorption taking place. She is failing, bit by bit, and they have continued to tell us to wait it out. Today, they finally decided maybe that isn't working---and we had a surgical consult. He sent off yet more specimans for culture....and if it warrants it, we will be flying her to either Albuquerque to the University Hospital, or to Denver to the Children's hospital, depending on what type of issue they think we are dealing with. They have downgraded her condition to critical. She bounces from sleeping, which we found out was caused by her blood sugar being below 40! To being so irritable as to not be recognizable--a screaming raging child....to one sobbing for food. It absolutely has broken my heart into a million, million pieces. She tells us point blank she is hungry, and asks for any and all kind of food she can think of...with giant tears in her big blue eyes....then she just goes limp, with the look of total dejection. She is 2, she does not understand why we keep letting them poke her, why we will not feed her....why we don't help her when she tells us her tummy hurts. She begs, Please Granny. And repeats "no pokes, no needles, please" everytime someone new enters the room. Add to this heartache (and it is TRUE heart ACHE), my DD's ex, Kinsey's father, is there trying as usual to be the funny man---and his mother an OR nurse at the hospital we are in, going behind everyones backs and putting down Dr.s and nurses, and questioning them and ultimately pissing them off--- and causing problems....I do not know which way to turn. The ex, and his Mom were arguing with my DD about whether the Dr. might want to run a blood test that might tell them about a disease that my DD's grandma on her Dads side had called Celiac Disease. The nurse dislikes the former MIL anyway, so ordered everyone except the 2 who have been staying the night with Kinsey out of the ward. Now this being said....the arguement was not loud, it was out of the room, and Kinsey is the ONLY patient in Peds. She saw it as a chance to get rid of Renee (former MIL) and did it. So we all were banished. My DD was there with her bf/fiance....they had not had a chance to eat...well we are fighting to get DD to eat, she refuses until her baby can eat....it is more than I know how to handle. Rick waited until shift change, and took some dinner to the hospital, and they were going to take turns going to the waiting room---I just don't think my DD is eating at all either---I keep telling her Kinsey needs her strong. It is very hard to put anything in your mouth knowing she is begging for the same. There were 3 nurses on the floor today, with Kinsey the only patient. At one point, she had a blow out---we had her in a diaper, due to this happening...but she went through the diaper, all over the bed, all over her Mama, her gown, the whole 9 yards. I sent my DD to change, and I proceeded to clean Kinsey up after telling the nurse. They were each on a computer comparing prices of the new Harry Potter book. I got Kinsey cleaned up, walked her out to the hall, found her a new gown in the shelf, took her in and dressed her. By then her Mama was back, and she sat down and held her, while I stripped the bed. I went walking out into the hall with this wad of smelly sheets and ask what they wanted me to do with them, she POINTED to a soiled linens hamper thing. Then she got up, walked to a closet, and handed me linens for the bed! They did not come in and disinfect the mattress----nor did she make the bed! I did. Our baby needed to lay down. They come in 2 times today and did vitals----nothing else. She is still casted, it was due to come off today, the nurse never mentioned to the Dr, we needed a ortho consult until after office hours---now she is stuck until Monday. They did not offer to help bathe her----NOTHING!!! Changed one bag of IV fluids....took 2 sets of vitals.....and surfed the net all day. Now this is the first day for this set of nurses....all of the other shifts, and sets of nurses we have had, have went out of their way to make us comfy, and help our little one in any way---today they were absolutely worthless. Tomorrow I intend on finding out who the nursing supervisor is, and filing a complaint. I have no way to make our baby better.....and I have emotions pent up that those worthless women know nothing about----but are fixing to find out about! While I am there seeing the supervisor or charge nurse or whoever....I will also mention, that we had Kinsey in a wagon pulling her around and around and around the 3rd floor......anythnig but her room, she was so tired of her room....and on one of our turns we passed the ICU entrance. There was a male nurse there Julian, who teased her every time she passed, he would hand her a new crayon.....then a piece of paper....and finally a stuffed doll (out of one of the claw grabber kind of machines it seems). She was so listless, but she would spark a little knowing we were coming up to where he was....he helped our day immensley....I will commend him, as I do my best to take the others down. Amanda said he even come by to tell her to get well, he was going on his 4 days off, and he hoped she was home and well before he come back to work. Her nurse.....never even walked into the room before she left. Thank you all for listening once again---all these things are boiling inside me. I am scared to death for Kinsey. Latching onto the anger I can control. The plan as it stands now is to begin introducing good bacteria into the system tomorrow...similar to what is found in yogurt. IF the tests do not show a total shut down. If they show a total failure, we are off to a bigger hospital for surgery. She has lost weight, she is under 17 pounds now. She doesn't show it much because she is really swollen from all of the IV fluids. They are also watching her blood sugars every 3 hours (which is just another poke----and was NOT done on schedule today), and adjusting the glucose in her IV. They finally gave her some Pepcid type of stuff in her IV for the acid in her stomach, since nothing is passing normally. She has complained less of her tummy hurting with that. And that is all----we wait now....and wait....and wait....and wait. I have my lap top, and I have connection. I just cannot sit in her room with these tears streaming down my face. You guys are my release in so many ways....thank you so much. I will let you know something as soon as I can. Please continue the prayers. Rick has avoided the vomiting....we got him some Kaitrel or something like that....so he is hanging tough. Being right there holding her like her Papa always does. Hugs to you all! Kat

Hey there! I couldn't tolerate any sort of Protein drink, either--I tried a bunch of different brands, sources of protein, recommendations from this site and others--nothing would stay down. So I had the idea to try "real food." I ended up making smoothies myself with Greek yogurt, milk, and pasteurized egg whites (like Egg Beaters) plus flavoring. They aren't as high protein per ounce as a "Protein Drink," but there is plenty of protein in there, the ingredients are available, and my sleeve could handle it. I never, ever met, nor do I meet now, the requirements for protein as recommended by my nutritionist, but my blood work is stellar and I'm feeling fabulous. (By the way, you can also slip in a couple of teaspoons of white Beans, low sodium, well rinsed, to add protein and fiber--I PROMISE you won't taste them at all!) As for Water, don't worry about "bigger" sips--keep a cup of iced beverage (whatever you're drinking) at your side always, and sip frequently. It's not the size of the sips but the number of sips--keeping something there, whether you're thirsty or not at the moment, will help you remember to sip. And hang in there. It really does get better.

No more thinking my friend you gotta do it. It will change your life and you will be so happy you did. I only wish I had gotten it done sooner. Ready 4 A Change in Tijuana, Mexico with Dr. Garcia is the best. They treated me like a queen they attended to our every wish every second, nurses in my room every hour. I went on a Sunday, stayed in Marriott, they picked me up from Airport, took us to Marriot, next morning on Monday had surgery at noon at stayed in hospital there for 3 days they attended to me and others every hour on the hour. I did not have any complications, I actually was skipping down the hall way right after surgery feel so light and freeeeee freeeeee. My challenge the first month is learning how to eat, chew food, small portions even though my head wants large portions and favorite foods. I love my life now more than food. Before I loved food more than my life.....I feel so happy that I eat like a skinny girl now. I have learn to buy small meals or share with others, I take half home and that is great, if I eat half. I have never lost weight since I gained it and in 10 weeks I am down 33 pounds it use to take me 6 months to loose 2 lbs serious....do it, do it now, please you wont regret. Now I eat my favorite some things I dont like any more like chicken....amazing how I love fish and ground turkey and soft steak now...love, love it. I love yogurt, cottage cheese and regular cheese on everything and I keep loosing weight, amazing....I can eat salads now....3-4 bites but I still eat what I love Now...10 weeks post op. I tried a lot early on and eat and drank and totally threw up. Warning eat first 30 minutes later drink beverage, no soda's, flavored waters, I did try alchol martini but to early celebrating but now, I love my sleeve...I feel beautiful again. Hope this encourages you.

Gonnabethin, exactly so. 5 - 6 meals per day, whether Protein shakes, yogurt, fully loaded salads... whatever (food choice and portions).. Eating more frequently and working out makes your body a fat burning machine. Think locomotive - coal.... fuel that baby.. feed it Also too, if I determined that my caloric intake was too low for the day, I will drink Muscle milk. It's packed with calories and some fat, (good fat).

I had a bowl of tinned apricots with a spoonfull of greek yogurt and a sprinkling of meusli for breakie this morning. Then I had 2 anzac Cookies and a cup of coffee after a very hard 1.5km swim. Then I had 3 bites of a lamb kebab for lunch, just too filling, I was stuffed. And I had a latte. Tonight I'm planning on an Optifast shake and a bowl of steamed veges. I'm on a blitz from now till our holiday in a month's time. I have some clothes for the warmer climate that I must get into.

LOL, I know! We have a lot in common don't we? You should definitely stick to this. You are doing so well and I'm so glad it's working for you. I went to the grocery store this morning and stocked up on fruits, veggies, cottage cheese, yogurt, etc. So far so good today, so we'll see. I'll still be checking in on ya'll from time to time. Ya'll keep up the good work!

In a restaurant I often choose a Pasta or rice dish. I find they go down easily and do not cause me problems. A starter size portion of something like canneloni or pasta with a tomato based(not cream based) sauce. Fish can be a good choice but you still have to be careful - I have had problems with fish a number of times so it is not guaranteed that it is safe. For breakfasts I do bacon and poached eggs or ceral and yogurt. If it is lunch then I would go for a quiche or veggie tart or something like that. Sometimes when eating out it is better to go for the option which has higher calories but which will go down without causing problems. We all know that grilled chicken and salad is low cal and healthy but postband if I was faced with a choice of that or a high cal creamy pasta dish I would have to go for the pasta. The chicken just has too much potential to cause problems.

I am going to say one thing and that is. I started eating solids after six weeks and I found that, I could eat everything except anything fried. I would throw it all up. March 11th was my surgery, weighed 234lbs. Now I weigh 191lbs. I lose like 2lbs. a week now and I can barely keep anything down. I find myself praying that I don't throw everything up so I won't get so hungry every hour. I snack on lots of carrots and honey wheat pretzels with cream cheese, the one with onion and chives, that stays down pretty well, but I need meat. I make some bake chicken with stuffing and that agrees with me. I only eat a little but it tastes so good with mixed vegetables, boiled with a little sugar and when done some butter and some salt. It lasts about 3 days, and that's me eating it for Breakfast, lunch and dinner. I can't stomach anything else. Don't know what to do? I hate Soups and broth, can't stand cottage cheese and I am starting to hate yogurts. What else can I make any suggestions? Please give me some ideas? Need help on what to eat for march sleeves.

I've been having 1-2 oz grilled salmon every few days and it is delic. Very small bites and chew it up to mush. Awesome. Also sounds Grose but sometimes I mix in blueberry Greek yogurt with the salmon and it is so good!!!!! The salmon alone is very high in protein but add the greek yogurt in and bam! A good 20-25 gr protein. Baby bel cheese is delic too.

Well I take Mirilax AND 6 prunes AND a Fiber bar AND a Fiber1 yogurt almost every day so I would say that it should be safe to take Mirilax AND a fiber supplement. Sent from my Transformer TF101 using VST

Since you had the sleeve and not RNY you can eat/drink more. RNY people can only eat a couple of tablespoons because their stomach is the size of their thumbs. Sleeve people have a 4-6 oz banana stomach that will eventually hold 6-8 oz after the swelling goes down. Some can eat more and some less. I would say you're doing good. 10oz protein in 1 hour is great, not too fast and not too slow I'd say just right. Same with the yogurt. Pain is different for everyone but usually the left side is more painful since that's where they pulled the part of the stomach they cut away in surgery. Usually most talk about left side hurting more. To me it looks like your doing great! Good luck you're in the hardest part right now but it will pass. Ttake care and be sure to drink!

There are a lot of people who really rely on jerky for Snacks. It's pretty salty, but other than that, it's a great snack. I snack on almonds, string cheese, and greek yogurt., I also love Oh Yeah peanut butter/choc Protein bars. They are like a kit kat. I only eat one stick at a time. People like to snack on hard boiled eggs, but I hate eggs.

Yes, I did, it was Thrush for me, which is basically yeast overgrowth. I had been on antibiotics right before I had my surgery due to being sick, then I was on antibiotics from being sleeved, so that's why I got it. I've seen a lot of people post with this issue when they are newly post-op. I drank those little dan active yogurt drinks for the probiotics, and also ate yogurt. Then I started on some probiotic supplements and it seemed to help. It should go away.

most people go for the whey at the beginning, I have both whey and soy only because I was using soy before lapband. and because one offers a flavor not found in other brands. You can go to local health food stores, even Wal-mart carries, Best thing would be to check with your doctors office for type. If you can add 1/2 banana, some people add yogurt. Lots of ways to spice up the drink. Good Luck.

I'm 8 1/2 months out. My craving are much worse since I slacked the reins at Christmas time. I am not more tired. Is your Iron good? Or do you eat a carby meal? That used to make me tired, but I can't stomach much bread, rice, potatoes, or Pasta, so I don't eat many carb heavy meals. The most carby thing I eat on plan is Beans. I sometimes have a cup of beans for dinner and I notice I am hungrier after eating them, but not more tired. I can now eat a cup of greek yogurt and one slice of toast for breakfast. That's about what I hoped for in restriction. I don't want to be stuck eating 6 meals a day to get my Protein in. For dinner, I can eat 3 oz. of dense protein, a little bit of veggies, and a bite or two of a starch. For lunch, I often have 2 oz. of lunch meat, an ounce of cheese, a handful of whole grain crackers and a little fruit, such as a little cutie or 1/4 of an apple. Lynda

I know everyone is differnt and will lose at a different pace. yada yada yada.... But here I am 10 days post op and I'm seeing everyone is postin losses well into the double digits! I have only lost 2 stinking pounds from my pre-op weight! 2 pounds, in 10 days right out of surgery? That seems so abnormally slow. It worries me knowing that everyone seems to hit a stall at 3 weeks. at my rate I will only lose 3 pounds before that stall happens. I feel like this surgery has not been a success. How can I have lost only 2 pounds? I eat 3 times a day. My meal is one of the following: 1 ounce string cheese, 1/2-1 egg, 1/4-1/2 cup cottage cheese, 3 ounces yogurt. I get around 60 grams of Protein a day. I'm not up to 64 ounces of liquid a day but i always get at least 40 ounces. sometimes 50. I eat my 3 Vitamins a day. what am I doing wrong? I'm very happy everyone else is being so successful but I'm worried at the slowness of my weight loss. This should be the time I'm losing a lot.