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Hey all, can ya give me a hand - I have a banded friend up here, Joy Marie is her name (beautiful isn't it??) she is a doll, was banded 3 months ago and has recently had her 3rd fill. She lost weight right after surgery, but not one bit since. She is very frustrated! She is in a wheelchair so is real limited as to what she can do for excercise . . . she does not have Kaiser so does not have the benefit of all of our education and support. So a couple weeks ago she was telling me what she was eating, and it was a lot of liquids and sliders! uh-oh. Riley to the rescue . . . I told her I would ask you guys for your opinions - what are the best band foods? Fill you & keep you full for at least 3-4 hours. . . . being vegetarian my "best" is probably too weird for her, so what do you guys think? I know it's different for everyone, but thought we could give her some ideas. Peanut butter? Tuna fish? I also told her to come on here and meet us, I hope she did! HI JOY MARIE!!!

Hey Riley I will ask my mom for the lentil loaf recipe. I have lots and lots of vegetarian recipes like Special K loaf.....which sounds awful but is so good. I grew up vegetarian so I actaully like all the soy products and veggie loafs.........crazy I know!! My problem is the same as yours I was reaised with to much carbs and not enough protien so it is hard to learn how to do this now. I am really still learning and Robin does help me out alot...........she had me try tempah which is not bad but looks terrible, tofu (which I am trying to like) and cottage cheese (;-P)..........I don't like eggs either but I can now eat them every morning...if it comes to a chicken or an egg I gotta go with the egg......LOL Riley we are in the same place. I have been eating three meals and snack but I get hungry too. I definetely CANNOT eat anything past 1/4 without extreme pain and PB'ing. I did it again today darn it. It is that one last bite and yep it was already chewed up when I realized it was not gonna fit in my pouch.......in a resterant can't spit it out. I swallow and than sit there in pain for 10 minutes...........I mean berating myself for not learning from the day before!!! OMG this is crazy stuff but I am losing a bit so I am happy with the band just not my measuring abilities. But yep it is almost stuck full, not a full full!! I so get what your say, I totally get it!! Sorta nice to have someone else there with me.............sorry your hurting but at least I know my band didn't slip or something!! I am gonna see how it goes in a few weeks. I might not need a fill............but I will trust Dr. Baggs with that one. As long as I can have my crystal light........

Tina yes, I am back to 100% vegetarian again now (ovo-lacto, although I can't tolerate milk - the lactose OR the whey - but I do love my cheese and eggs!) but I am considering pescatarianism because I find that fish works REALLY well with a lap-band - and it does not seem so much like carcass to me. I could NOT do this program vegan, that is for SURE. So for any vegetarians lurking out there who are considering weight-loss surgery, lap-band is the way to go for sure! You can do this. In the beginning I committed to eating meat for 1 year during my rapid weight loss - although I told Robin it was only gonna be meat in cans - canned tuna & chicken - and she was totally fine with that (I did not know she was vegetarian at the time!). So I started eating meat again in November 08 - talk about irregular, BOY did I have issues around re-introducing meat! - and ate it until I went and met with Robin for my 1st fill, she looks at my logs and I was getting 200% of the protein I needed. She said that the body stores extra protein as fat, same as it stores extra anything, and I could transition back to vegetarianism at any time! So I ended up eating meat for only 6-7 months. There is a bunch of vege stuff that I can't eat - I have a wheat sensitivity so I cannot tolerate seitan at ALL, and even the lightweight meat analogs have wheat in them so I have to limit the amount (veggie brugers, etc). And you necessarily get a LOT more carbs on a vegetarian diet than you do on a regular diet where you can restrict them more, so the weight loss IS slower . . but also healthier! Oh and I could not do it without tofu!! I love good-quality tofu, and the firm stuff works really well with the band, too. I now average about 80 grams of protein a day, more than I need. I do have a concern (which Robin shares) with the high amount of soy protein that I eat, since I am adopted I have no idea if I have a family hisotry of estrogen-related cancers (breast cancer, etc) and people who have that familyhisotry are advised to limit their soy. I have soy (milk, tofu, edamame) everysingle day, so that worries me a bit. BUT I remain convinced that a plant-based diet is much healthier for anyone, and heart disease is more of a threat for most folks than soy. That's my lecture for the day!

swrktp, I am so impressed that you have managed to remain vegetarian through this! I used to be (OL) vegetarian, right up until the day after orientation! There seemed no way around eating chicken and fish both on the 1200 and post-op for me. I'm mostly eggbeaters and tofu and cottage cheese and soy or brown rice protein powder, but I am doing chicken and fish (get this, I have to eat it "canned" so it does not remind me of carcass!) to get extra protein and avoid losing muscle as a lose weight so fast. My goal is to be vegetarian again when the rapid weight loss stops - hopefully when I am on full food again. I also heard (actually, read) that Robin specializes in vegetarianism, isn't that great!?! Anyways, way to GO girl!! And keep the faith . . .you are right if you are at goal weight sooner you will be banded sooner. I posted earlier about my friend who was at goal and they called her to come see the case manager the next day, they gave her a surgery date and THAT day and then called her the next day to move it up by a whole month! I went with her to her pre-op Friday and they were talking about moving it up again to monday (today) but she said no thanks - she goes next Wednesday for RNY. And they were SO NICE in there! It's almost like if you could just walk in and talk to someone you could get appointments right away . . . . but they want to see that you are motivated, and losing the weight is what shows them that you are. Keep it up! Riley :scared2:

6+ months here, I never had buyers remorse, but lots of adjustments to get used to for sure. I love it now, and continue to learn new things about my sleeve life every day. I tell myself I am eating out for the company, and not so much the food, but as time goes on, the food is in the picture more. I can eat anything now (good and bad!), but started out as a vegetarian that became lactose intolerance for the first month... that is better now and I can eat any dairy without problems. If you search this site, you can find lists of the yuck factor from WLS. Skin, hair, puke, pain, wrinkles, food mourning, 3 week stall (look that one up if you haven't already! People starting out go CRAZY when that shows up) and worse. In fact there are few here who did not experience at least one or two of these things. I know for me, perhaps my posts focus on the "glow" of the results, because they are really more important to me than anything bad that has happened to me. A chance for a longer life, my knees and joints are not yelling at me as often, I can up my exercise with JOY! Hike and interact with nature and people better, look hotter in cloths! Junk some of my meds and compete better in the work force. I recognize myself in the mirror after 20 years of WTF is that?! I am grateful and want others to have the chance to feel the same way. First month was the least "fun" of the process so far, but really, the 20 years before that were really the worst part! Not everyone is ready for WLS of any kind... heck not everyone is ready for regular dieting at any one time. The sleeve just evens that out by controlling how much you eat at a sitting on any given day.Sometimes I resist that control, but mostly I enjoy it. A LOT.

I became a vegetarian 3 mos post op and since then I had pretty much all fruits, veggies and nuts. During my immediate post op once I got to mushies I ate a lot of apple sauce, peaches, nectarines and pears- mostly from a can in light syrup because they were softer- the further out I got I allowed myself a few bites to try- I have found that the fruits that are "sweeter" like grapes tend to cause a bit more diarrhea sooner than a normal BM (TMI) sorry... But watermelon was a staple for me post op- it was mushy, satisfied my thirst and filled me up- and when you eat fruits and veggies you get plenty of nutrients. Post op becomes a trial and error because often times you cannot eat what you did pre op for various reasons ie- Oranges- the acid KILLS me and I hate it- living in FLA I love to make fresh squeezed orange juice!! and can only have a few sips now but to sit and eat an orange I cannot. I have had the canned mandarine oranges and eaten tangerines and perhaps it's the size of the fruit but they go better with my tummy. I have made fruit salads and incorporated the "difficult" fruit in it so that I can enjoy it but not as a whole but rather just a few bites... Good luck!!

My weight has been the one thing I can't really control in life. I come from a long line of tall, big-boned giants in my family. (Seriously, my dad is a non-athlete and needed a knee replacement the size of a football player's.) I am 5'9 and have always had long legs and curves, even at my highest weight. I developed earlier than other girls when I was in my teens, and owned a size 12 (Between 165-185 lbs) until my sophomore year in college. I've always loved my body and felt that it was beautiful even if I was more voluptuous than other girls in school. During college I ate more. I discovered that beer and wine were good. (You know, before you realized they contained boat loads of empty calories?) My sleep patterns changed and the stress of tests, papers and social life added up-- and so did the pounds. By the time I graduated I was larger (Size 18-20, 240-260 lbs) but still had my curves. Dieting became more of a priority now, but the dieting almost made it worse. I would lose weight, regain. Cut carbs, try intuitive eating, then go to a doctor, go to the gym and try to get on a new plan, try the South Beach Diet, Eat Vegetarian... you get it? Right? I felt like my energy was sucked up with trying to lose the pounds and it was discouraging thinking about it. I worked hard at my career while still trying to work out and eat less carbs. I was supervised by a doctor, personal trainer and nutritionist-- but somehow I just couldn't stop the lose and regain cycle I had started. Every time I stepped on the scale, I was more than 20 lbs heavier than the last time. I wore nice clothes to the office, but as my weight creeped higher and higher-- my heels got lower and lower-- because my sitting and walking posture were losing strength. I felt my muscles weaken and it was weird for me. (By this time, I was about 300-320 lbs.) I added more time in the gym to help keep me active and to prevent myself from becoming completely glued to my office chair or in meetings. I gave up alcohol and only drank water.For a year and a half before my wedding, I worked out 4-5 days a week (cardio and strength). My diet was balanced, (whole grain, lean meats, vegetables, occasional treats) but between working out, going to work 40-55 hours a week-- I ate way more when I came home. Not out of stress, but because I felt HUNGRY. No fast foods, no crazy fried foods-- just balanced meals choices... but HUGE portions. I ended up losing 5 pounds in a year and a half for my wedding. Then gaining 15 while on my honeymoon-- my highest weight. (376 lbs.) So let's fast forward to today: I am a successful professional in marketing. I have competitive skills and work well with others. I am able to look people in the eye with the same confidence I have always had. I love myself, and I love my life. I just want to be a winner of my own health, too. I am working out in the gym still, eating a balanced diet, now reducing my portions and I weighed in today at 358 lbs. I am currently at a size high 24 and low 26. I still wear heels to work, but low ones. I am at a point where I can walk up and down stairs, quickly through hallways and to my car with a bit of a heavy breath-- but still doable. My chair is snugger than I would like it to be, but it works. I pass on the endless parade of employee birthday cakes, but still participate in the celebrations. My struggle now is trying to control the urge to eat at night and keep my calories in check. It's hard. It's hard not to be tired after work. It's hard to be as focused on my duties, be a leader and ensure I take care of my body with the proper nutrients and exercise it needs. I have some aches that I didn't have before. My lower back gets tight and my joints crack more. This is a new development and one of the reasons I am moving forward with the VSG surgery. Working out IS HARDER at this weight, and it still feels like I am not getting anywhere. However, I am staying positive no matter what. I have decided that I am going to take control and apply this tool (the VSG, is a tool-- not a cure-all) to my gym routine and eat like my nutritionist instructs. Protein, small amounts, stay away from those starchy carbs. I only drink water and iced coffee with a little light cream in the morning. I am already learning to love my scale and thinking of it as a unit of measurement. (The same way I would measure success at work.) I can still be my big-boned, tall self at work-- I just need some help and taking these next steps will help me do that. Anyone else struggle with the weight and work? (In the office or at home?) I'd love to hear about it. I will continue to write more. The good, the bad and the UGLY It's here we can all share these experiences and learn from each other.

My doctor did not have me on straight liquids right after post-op - I went straight to the pureed stage. For the first couple of weeks, I LIVED on blenderized lentil soup! My favorite is the one from Trader Joe's in the big can. All vegetarian, inexpensive, high protein, and DELICIOUS!! My surgeon is a huge fan of lentils post surgery - calls them one of nature's most perfect foods. He says that fish is the other perfect food. Not sure if you are lacto-ovo, vegan, or a pescetarian, but if fish figures into your plan at all, it is a great back-up protein once you get to soft foods. I also do non-fat vanilla greek yogurt, mixed with PB2 (powdered peanut butter). The combo packs a huge protein punch and is absolutely delicious! Cottage cheese is also great in the soft food phase.

I'm vegetarian and allergic to seafood. Don't like meat? Don't eat it. I do eat a lot of eggs and greek yogurt, but I've done quite well not eating any meat at all.

Oh, I am working with a nutritionist and she's very helpful. Like I said further up, I eat eggs, cheese, nuts etc. for my proteins -- and occasionally fish. That key lime yogurt sounds like something I could get into too! My question was more for educational reasons, so many people have said that I need to get more protein in, and I was trying to figure out if we actually meant protein or solids. I think we mean solids when we say proteins, as there seem to be all sorts of slider mushies that can also technically be called protein. In any event, I do think I need to try and find more of these (solids) and that can be a challenge as a vegetarian. I used to get all my protein from veggie sources, but that involved eating huge amounts of food on a regular basis. I think that is why I am having so much trouble with portions too. Sigh. I WILL get this

Welcome! I was vegan pre-surgery. But since then I've tried to get in the protein however possible. I'm leaning back toward lacto-vegetarian, eating legumes and dairy for the protein. I just have such a hard time with pouch pain and meats. My nut says it's impossible to get enough vegan- only protein. The veggies I tolerate now are all soft, like tomatoes. I'm thinking my salads will be mostly soft, diced tomatoes with other soft, diced veggies.

In all honesty, my dad, probably same generation? Would have said, this is what's being made, eat it or not, your choice. It's what their parents did, some even born during depression years when if you had anything to eat, it was a blessing. Having said that, I have vegetarian sibs, one veg child, one super clean eater, one only organic, free range etc.. So, I do the best I can, but sometimes, all it takes is asking, could you set aside some sauce only for the vegetarian, sauce and organic or free range etc... And it works out. The other option is bringing your own version and not missing out on quality family time. I see my sibs about once a year, and it always saddens and disappoints me, when the one who is strictly organic refuses to come, possibly because something was prepared incorrectly. Part of the problem was so many family functions revolve around food, because let's face it, everyone has busy work, school, athletics, etc... But everyone needs to eat, and feed our relationships too. Good luck to you, you are right in that it gets easier the longer you are on your path to health!

Carbs are NOT my friend. I tried to stay away from them. Nothing white for me, flour, sugar and flour. If I do eat carbs it is whole wheat...........but hmm I don't even do that much. I have not eaten pasta in 7 months. Bread off and on but I ate what I can "fat bread" the kinds that has lots of roughage in in so it is sorta thick and .........oh yes lets me honest dry!! My biggest problem was snacking/sugar and diet coke. Snacking is still hard. Diet Coke. Well it has been 7 months and I don't miss it anymore. Now Vitamine water 10 orange or peach flavor. I drink that stuff instead and LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!! I am vegetarian so things are a bit more complicated for me since I don't eat animals!! LOL!! I am suppose to try meat this week!! But I could gag and slip my band!! LOL. NO really I am gonna try it so I can tell Robin I did. I made this Egg McMuffin thing tonight. So good. And mostly protien. 1 egg, Morning star farms veggies sausage, reduced fat cheese and Hearty grain ENglish muffin. It was so, so good. I wanted two but only had one!! Tomorrow morning I know what I am gonna have!! This is my new breakfast thing. I am hating eggs but need to eat them again after talking to RObin this way they don't taste so yuck. I could add some salse or pesto to for a condement!! Hmmm.........but it was good plain too!! Ok I gotta clean............:-)

I did not have to do a liquid diet before surgery. I had to do 100% vegetarian, very low fat, and low calorie. So no birthday dinner at the Brazilian steakhouse. Of course I could not eat or drink after midnight the night before surgery. I was at 40 BMI and I have the five incisions (that are mostly gone already, thankfully).

The foods and supplements they offer today are just amazing, some of them. I like the idea of natural unprocessed foods, so I personally stay away from certain bars and supplements. I am also into the free-range, grass fed, beef. I don't think I can ever remember having a better burger (sorry vegetarians). I don't have a problem with eating meat, so long as it is harvested/raised humanly. I am also a strong supporter of hunting (which I don't personally do) for food, humanly. The paleo diet is just great which it seems I am inadvertently doing. I don't see how you could go wrong on that. I know the Dukan diet discusses Ketones, which sounds interesting for reseting your metabolism. In fact, that is exactly what it's suppose to do. I just can't get around eating the foods they tell you to eat, all the time. Does anybody have any other thought's on "resetting" your metabolism? I am mostly interested in chinese herbs? Brands? Specific herbs and/or blends of herbs?

HI, I have recently started my journey. I went to my first seminar and from there I recieved a call that explained that my insurance will cover the surgery up to 90%. My first Dr.'s appt is scheduled for May 23rd and I am very excited about starting this journey. Just to let you know a little bit about myself....... I am 31 years old 5'4 and 275 lbs which is the heaviest I have been in my entiiiire life . I have always had weight issues starting from middle school . Even though I wasnt the smallest growing up I was very athletic and with my father being a physical ed teacher and a basketball coach I stayed busy playing basketball and volleyball . Moving foward it seemed like once I reached my twentys I started piling the weight on....I think my problem is that I am an emotional eater and I eat when I im bored or upset . I find myself over eating alot . My father passed away 4 years ago which was a wake up call for me . My father had hypertension, diabetes, kidney failure and congestive heart failure which majority runs in my family. I have tried everything under the sun to aid in my weight loss. I tried weight watchers, working out and even tried out being a vegetarian which lasted about 3 mnths my latest venture was weight loss pills which did take off 36lbs and at that time brought me down to my lowest which was 219lbs but as soon as I loss my job which forced me to be home more than I liked i gained it all back plus 20 addtl. I am now at my breaking point. I find that is getting to be a task at doing the simplest everyday things like taking a shower. I recently had a biometric screening at my exsisting job which notified me that I have high blood pressure which prompted me to make an appt with my pri DR. which suggested the lap band as an option. I know alot of people at my current job(which is a call center posistion) that have had the lap band surgery both successfully and unsucessful. The succesful ones told me that they follow the lifestyle change to a "T" and the unsuccessful ones admitted that they have found ways of going around the band or that once they reached their goal they started back in their old ways and gained all the weight back. I am now at the time in my life where I reconize that i need to make a major change in my lifestyle, hence the option of lap band. At first my mom and two sisters were against the surgery and stated that I can do this on my own. But you see where on my own has gotten me . I took my mom ans sister to the seminar with me and now they are supportive. I am now looking foward to the process and the surgery in the future. I understand the lap band is a tool and is up to me to make the changes in my life necessary. I haved read a numerous amount of blogs and posts which have become very helpful...........Wish me luck !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

@@Bufflehead This sounds delicious. I am trying to stay away from red meat. I was a vegetarian for about 10 years during my 30's and now just cutting red meat from my diet. I'll do this with chicken! Thanks for the tip!!!

My BMI was really high. I'm only 5'2"/5'3" and I was over 400lbs. I'm also a vegetarian do perhaps that played a part. My bloodwork was pretty good pre op. Other than encouraging me to increase my protein, no preop diet for me. I had a really easy surgical experience.

I'm not one to preach, and believe we all must come to our own conclusions. ..but I do personally believe (I'm a Buddhist) that animals suffer much like we do. I just decided I don't want to be a part of that. I prefer they have the chance to live their lives in peace whenever possible, just as I would like to. That being said, I like the taste of meat. So I make fake meat like Saitan roasts and such upon occasion to fill my eating desires and piece of mind. Its easy most of the time. I live in California, and there are lots of vegetarians here.

VSG 11/17 NY Do you feel you were given enough information on this procedure pre op and post op? yes I went to the 3 required teaching pre op info sessions and monthly post op support groups. They were repetitive but drilled the info in. Did they explain that you will still feel real and head hunger with any surgery procedure? Or tell you hunger will go away? I don't think I ever really bought into the bargain of never feeling hunger again so I didnt count on that. It seemed like a fairly tale. I wasn't banking on that helping me personally. And they always reinforced the fact that *some people* experienced it. I was just hoping for reduced capacity and restriction honestly. Did they give you clear instructions on how to work your plan? yes they provided clear personalized information, especially since I was hell bent on going vegan again... Settled on flexible vegetarianism, thank goodness 😆 Was the psych evaluation just a hoop to jump through? Would you have benefited doing more therapy before surgery? Initially I worried because I've never seen a therapist prior and thought Damnit this is going to make or break it all, then when I arrived at the office i thought piece of pie piece of cake I'll ace this... They want to get people in and out. But surprisingly during my singular session when I didn't have the answers to some unexpected questions (which I freely admitted... Rookie move) the therapist in his elder wisdom suggested I watch some more YouTubes and join an online support group or two! I think it was just the right amount of sessions for me. Were your follow up appointments with your surgeons and dietician helpful? Extremely. They always always always felr accessible and helpful. Listened to my concerns, ran the proper tests ,called me tiny, ran extras if i had a concern, answered emails, told me I was pretty, said I could eat fun food abroad, shot straight with me if I was behind the losing curve, told me to try to give up coffee for GERD's sake (and I did... no impact) They have been amazing amd I'm so sorry if anyone has anything less Did you understand that you can gain weight back? Did they help with a list of instructions and things to do and not to do? Yes. But I think I began to worry like 6 months post when i started seeing post floating around stating that it was inevitable. Like a natural law. That absolutely everyone will regain a certain amount and just prepare for it. And it felt so contradictory to what i was being taught. I was in contact with sone people in support group who regained but they were honest about why... They ate stuff that caused it. And others that didn't regain. They did not eat stuff. Sure medical issue can attribute to regain but none of the 20+ people on either side of maintaining said that. It was always just food. but back to the question yes they were very clear about portion control and sustainable lifestyle changes. If you had regain, did you contact your team and were they helpful? I have had regain already its usually a few lbs. Never more that 7-8lbs from my lowest ever. I do feel like I could come up with a plan which involve my Team. For now im still closely working the plan they gave me. They gave me instructions into the 2yr period. They said be vigilant. Don't start making continuous poor overall choices (like rice/bread/pasta/chips daily - this may work for some but will not work for me at all especially since I dont really eat animal protein so I'm hardly ever dense protein forward)

Hey Riley I am in the same place right now............ I am still confused why some people are already at 5-6ccs at the first fill and 3-5.8 at surgery? Your only three and you have had two fills already? I am sorta confused about how they do this.......... Riley how much are you getting filled at each appointment and do you know how much your fill was at surgery? I have never really had great restriction but lately I have none..............my guess is I don't have much of a fill from surgery or I have lost alot of fat in the last five weeks.......... I am not getting stuck at all. Not eathing much because everything feels like it sticks to me right now........... I have heard that chicken can be a big issue for bandsters............maybe you will have to just go back to being a vegetarian again??

Hello All Well just got off the phone with Kaiser again. Everytime they call I think they are gonna cancel. Just more questions and more forms to fill out. I wanted to know the time for the surgery but still have to wait until friday. I think I will be 6:45 am................for the first surgery of the day but who knows. I know one lady who will be there with me........she is gonna so be stressing that day!! She was stressing at pre op and has a laugh like a hyena!! LOL. Reggie: I went through the same thing as you with the weight not moving for days on end. I had to STOP not just limit the carbs. And overdue it on the Water. Even than it was slow I just can't seem to lose quickly like alot of people on here. I think for me it is not enough protien since I am vegetarian...........but after Africa I am losing 2-3 pounds a day. I know it has to stop again soon.......but next week sugery and restricted diet so maybe not ya know. I didn't like the African food so I didn't eat much..........lost my apetite I think but not a bad thing. Also it was killer hot over there and you sweat all day long.........that plus no cars and only walking everywhere for three weeks my motel was down this huge hill and I had to walk up and down it all day.......talk about forced exercise!! I kept thinking Dr. Baggs and Liz would so love that I am sweating............ Reggie I bet your scheduled 3-4 weeks out from your CM so May or early June maybe!! So excited for you. Christine so glad to her about your progress. Seems true the second day is the worst!! I heard by the four day things are so much better and that is only tomorrow!! Ok I am down to 4 days.............start the pre op stuff on Sunday. Hey all did they say anything about soap or what not to do before surgery?? Liz didn't go into any of that and no soap..............I thought that was part of pre op..................I know no lotions............but what about shampoo/conditioner..............gell.............oh dear no one asked her.........................

I'm late to the party. ..I went vegetarian 2 years ago. I lost 30 lbs without trying. But I didn't make any healthy changes with it so the weight came back. You can definitely be an unhealthy veggie. Off to check out Dr weiner materials.

I think that as we get the protein/fluid intake more in balance, our bodies will release the weight. It seems to take a long time to get the protein/fluid intake levels to what they should be. I do find that every day I am able to increase the amount of fluids and proteins. Here are some high-protein ideas I am using: (1) obviously protein shakes, such as Boost (2) Progresso's vegetarian, low-fat lentil soup: pureed. At first I had to dilute the puree with water but now I don't. This is very high protein and I find it easy to get down. You can mix in some protein powder to increase the protein. Adding some chicken broth can enhance the flavor. It took me 1.5 days to finish a can offering two servings! (3) unsweetened soy milk - it seems to offer 1 gram of protein for every ounce of fluid. 8 ounces = 8 grams of protein. Plus it's liquid. There are some other Progresso soups that are high in protein. The advantage of the lentil soup is that it is low in terms of sugar grams. Some of the high-protein Progresso soups have more sugar grams. So I'm sticking mainly to the lentil soup. Does anyone know of any other Progresso soups that are high protein but low in sugar grams? I've found that exactly 7 days after surgery, I have lost exactly 7 pounds - a pound a day. I am happy with that weight loss. I remain bloated. My abdomen is very bruised. But each day I feel a bit better. Wishing everyone success.

Hello everyone! So just to give details, I had surgery 5/29/18 and lost 95lbs originally post surgery. However since, I gained back 35lbs and have been depressed about it. I’ve lost the 35lbs then gained it back (and the cycle repeats). I’ve tried Keto, Vegetarian, Whole30, the works! And it seemed as if my stomach stretched out and I was back to eating almost all the way normal. This time around though, I figured I would go back to what I learned pre-op and make the lifestyle changes I made 2 years ago to lose the weight. I restarted about two weeks ago, eating my food slowly, listening to when I was actually hungry, taking my supplements, drinking my water, eating protein first, getting active each day and eating 3 meals without snacks. Two weeks later, I’m already down 6 pounds and now it seems like I’m eating the portions I was eating 2-3 months post-op! Even the dumping sensations I felt when I eat too much came back (something I TRULY didn’t miss lol) I realized that I was seriously overeating and not utilizing the tool I’ve been given. All of this to say, if you are someone like me, going through regain loss and have been a ways out from surgery, don’t overcomplicate it. Go back to basics and use your tool. It hasn’t stopped working. It hasn’t stretched out. It’s just not being utilized. And you can pick it back up again. We got this! Don’t give up.