Search the Community

plateaus are a normal part of weight loss. I just stuck to my program, stayed off the scale for a few days, and my weight loss would eventually start back up. Plateaus usually last 1-3 weeks. re: Greek yogurt. I've had that almost every day for breakfast for the last six years - that's been my usual breakfast since soon after I had surgery in 2015. A denser protein does tend to keep you satisfied longer, but there's definitely nothing wrong with eating Greek yogurt! and yes - I usually have a morning snack and an afternoon snack - I just make sure to work the calories in to my meal plan for the day. I eat all the stuff you mentioned - beans, seeds, fruit. I can't remember when I added them - but probably around where you are now. Check with your clinic and see if it's OK to start adding them.

Hello, I am almost three months out and I have hit the dreaded plateau for two weeks now without any weight loss. I am told by my NUT to stick with the program, but I really feel bored with my diet. for breakfast, when I don't wat eggs, I eat feta and gouda cheese or low fat greek yogurt, but I read somewhere that these go down quickly and may not be considered "solid food" as such, and cause one to get hungry much sooner. For lunch and dinner I eat a small piece of chicken and grilled veggies. I don't have fruits. I try to get as much water in between as I can. I also feel hungry just an hour or two after the meal. Any of you experience the same? Do you snack or only do three meals a day? I exercise at least three days a week. I am also curious to learn your diets. For instance, how did you break the plateau? do you eat lentil and fava beans (I love both!), fruits, seeds, and if so when did you introduce them after surgery. Many thanks.

fat free refried beans with low fat cheese and salsa makes a great bean dip. canned soups are great soft foods. cloud bread - yum! you can use it to make "pizza" or as a "bun" for soft proteins. deli turkey plus low fat cheese or Bolthouse yogurt sauces. sloppy joes (made with small amount of Manwich or sugar free ketchup) chili (use extra lean beef or ground turkey)

I get full on much smaller portions now. For example, I used to be able to eat half a large pizza. No way could I eat that now - I'd be in pain. I can eat 1-2 pieces and I'm done. Or today for lunch - my husband and I split a packet of Costco's Madras Lentils (so I had about a 1/2 cup of them), and we also split a piece of naan (so that was another 100 calories - so about 245 calories total for lunch). I am stuffed. I'll probably get hungry again in about three hours, so I'll probably have some Greek yogurt. the thing you have to watch out for is grazing. The surgery will limit how much you can eat in one sitting. But it won't stop you from grazing all day. Using the pizza example, I physically cannot eat more than 1-2 pieces at one sitting. But I could probably eat 1-2 pieces at 5:00 pm, 1-2 more pieces at 7:00 pm, and 1-2 more pieces at 9:00 pm. ta da - there's your half a pizza. So that's what you have to watch out for. So I always have things like sugar free popsicles, sugar free Jello, raw veggies with some kind of dip made from Greek yogurt, or those Light & Fit or Carbmaster yogurts around for times when I'm really dying for an unplanned snack (or sugar free fudgesicles if I'm craving chocolate. They're 40 calories each). This all was pretty easy the first year, but it gets harder. This is life now. But I never want to be morbidly obese again. And as I mentioned, this seems to be the way of lot of normal weight women eat, from what I can tell.

I'm the same way. No food is worth weighing 373 lbs again (my starting weight). I NEVER want to go back there! as far as eating whatever: before I had surgery, I started paying attention to what the women at my job ate for lunch (several of them ate in the employee break room, thus I could see what they were eating). Especially the normal weight women. There were a couple of them that ate a lot (well, at the time I would have called what they ate "normal"), but the majority of them ate these little tiny lunches (or they seemed little tiny to me at the time, anyway). A bagel and a thing of yogurt. Or half a sandwich and an apple. Or a sandwich and some baby carrots. I started to think the women that ate the bigger meals were either blessed with really good metabolism, or they were very active. The ones eating the microscopic lunches - I started to think that that's just the way a lot of normal women eat (unfortunately...). And now, I've joined them...

Ugh so I got so excited and emailed my nutritionist and got a big fat NOPE. Seems like I’m on same plan as you. On phase 2 protein liquids. Only 2-4 oz soup w protein powder whisked in, yogurt, protein shakes, sugar free jello and yogurt and milk 😢

Yogurt really bothers me, the cheese makes me more constipated. I can tolerate eating cottage cheese sometimes. Like I said, I am just going to have to figure it out on my own. She was absolutely no help whatsoever.

I was told any non-caffeinated beverage counts toward the 64 oz of fluid requirement. And that includes protein shakes. I think some people who are lactose intolerant can handle cheese and yogurt - the fermentation and/or aging weakens the lactose - or something like that. Although I don't know if that's universally true. but other than that, yea - it sounds like she's not listening to you. I would have been mad, too

Just got off the phone with my nutritionist and she didn't help me at all. For those of you who have been following my posts, you know I had some questions for her. I asked her if I had to keep drinking 8 cups of water per day and let her know that I had to cut down to 6 because I get way too full even at this stage (9 months out), and then can't eat, and am losing more weight and can not maintain. Her answer was "Yes you have to drink 8 cups (64 oz.) of water per day". Then I asked if other liquids count towards the goal. Her answer was, "Yes, and you have to drink 8 cups of water per day also." Well that makes no sense. I then asked what could I do to gain a few lbs. Her answer was to "drink full fat milk, eat nuts, Peanut Butter or Almond Butter". I told her that I eat those things everyday, but can not drink milk due to lactose intolerance. Then she says, "Ok so eat yogurt, cottage cheese, and cheese". I told her that I can not do that because those things are dairy. So then she tells me to drink whole milk, instead of my almond milk. By now I am ready to start yelling at her. I know she wasn't paying attention to me. Then she tells me to eat more often, so I tell her that I already eat 5-6 times a day to which she tells me that I should be eating 5-6 times a day. LOL I give up. WTF lady? She also told me I should be having more protein so I tell her about my constipation issues and that I already eat 90-100 grams of protein a day. I let her know that the doc says I need to cut back a little bit on this, and she tells me that I should be drinking protein water. OMG!! Whatever. So now I am just going to have to do it my way, and see whatever works for me. I am going to cut back my water intake to 4 cups a day so I am not so full, and hopefully can eat more. I also will cut my protein down. I don't know what else to do at this point. I need to be able to eat more so I can put some weight back on. Any advice would be wonderful. Thanks

My program says 2oz of yogurt, oatmeal or cream of wheat, 4oz of soups. And I think for puree it's similar mostly 2oz portions and some up to 4oz but I can't recall the specifics and don't have my book on hand. I know in general they don't want us to exceed 6oz at a meal. And its ounces by volume not weight.

I'm in the same boat as you. Still on full liquid but that includes yogurt and I swear I down 8 oz plus with no problem and no full feeling at all. Some people said that's because it sorta dissolves into nothing before swallowing and real food will be different. I hope so. But I too have no nausea or vomiting, etc. Smooth sailing when it comes to food/eating/drinking. Yesterday, in preparation for my puree stage which starts Thursday, I made a chicken salad like I normally do, shredded chicken/chicken cut into small bites, mayo, salt and pepper. Now for puree I'm supposed to puree it down further. But for shits and giggles, and because I am so over the liquid stage and I was hungry, I ate about two tablespoons of it AS IS, NOT pureed and it went down just fine. I constantly hear of people having issues with chicken months out so this worries me too that it's so easy. I hope my dang doc took enough stomach out! LOL But seriously.

I am glad to hear that you are doing well. I am on week 5 post op and still introducing foods back into my diet—I don’t have carte blanche the way you do, though! I think it is interesting how doctors’ offices are so different. This week I am on shaved deli meat, cheese, and turkey chili, and melba toast/saltines. LOL! I agree with you on taking it slow and trying one food at a time. Eggs did not bother me at first, but now they do. I had to take anti-nausea meds for the first time since week one because of a scrambled egg! I have also found that certain foods make me gag—yogurt, cottage cheese, and fish! I am so disappointed in losing 4 quality means of protein because they just are not palatable! I also find that I can’t eat much. I certainly can’t drink a whole protein shake in one sitting—I have to drink 1/2 in the am and the other 1/2 in the pm. I find I struggle with getting enough protein. It is my #1 goal right now—get 80 grams of protein a day! I am barely getting 50. I have lost 31 lbs since the beginning and 20 lbs since surgery. I go for my 6 week check-up next week. I am so excited for next week because fruits and vegetables return. I cannot wait! I don’t reach any food I want until Week 12! I am still tired—I try to walk every day, but I haven’t made it to the gym yet. That is my 2nd goal—go to gym 3x a week. All in all—I am doing well. Still learning how to navigate Tiny Tummy, but so much happier when I look in the mirror! One more pound, and I will be in the 180s! 31lbs down and 50 to go, but my first small weight goal is 185!

I'm home after surgery and running a slight fever. The doc said to call him if I get to 100.3. I'm now at 99.7. Also, crushing pills and mixing them with yogurt really ruins the yogurt.

Doing very well (did not expect this at all). Had surgery on 5/11, and I am down 18 lbs. I eat about 4 meals a day (2 oz each - I measure!!!) and mostly protein: fish is my favorite (cod, tuna, salmon, eel and in general any easy to bake / grill fillet). Green yogurt and Kefir (drinkable yogurt) have been very helpful to get my gut feeling well in the 2 week post-op diet. I walk or exercise about 30min-1 hour, about 2-3 miles a day. For those sushi lovers out there, I had some sashimi yesterday and fish eggs (salmon and other), as they are approved/allowed by my dietician. They were amazing (basically pure protein + some healthy fat). An interesting side-effect for me is that now I just wake up at 5-6 am and I feel bored, so now I take the dog out for a morning walk. I used to have to sleep much longer (I guess the body was needing the time to process the food/calories intake). This feels like the best thing I've done in my life and for my health! I do NOT feel hungry like I used to feel before and that is a sensation I cannot explain to others who've never felt that kind of gut-hunger every day in their lives. It is so freeing to feel so good and not feel like you're a slave to your biology and hunger. Hope everyone else will get to feel GREAT SOON.

I might be older than you think.. I'll be 57 on June 12th. As to what I am doing, drink, drink and drink some more. Get those fluids in and I am still on the low side myself at about 48 ounces of water/fluid a day, as they are most important even more so than protein at this point. I only drink plain water and decaf tea. I eat, Cream of Wheat, tuna, greek yogurt, jello, cream of chicken soup, and chicken or beef broth and for a treat frozen pudding pops or outshine popcicles. I have one scoop of Genepro added to either my cream of wheat or cream of chicken soup. I am limited on my protein to 43 grams a day as I have Chronic Kidney Disease. I have not done much in exercise as its only been one week other than the walking. I do plan on incorporating more exercises even those that I can do with minimal jumping around like legs lifts and arm circles. Good Luck Every One.

So I’m just entering the liquid phase where there isn’t much food except for soup and yogurt. My doctor says 1 serving of Greek oikos which is 5.3 Oz. Has anybody been told what serving they are allowed in this phase such as the cream of wheat oatmeal or soups? I’m assuming the serving size we are allotted is not what is listed on the can otherwise we would be stuffed! I would also imagine when we get to the next phase the amount of cottage cheese, tunafish and eggs with vegetables etc... just not sure how much we are supposed to be eating of each or we just stop when we feel full? Any help would be amazing! 😘

My bariatric program started 7/5/2020; I was 287 pounds. The next phase, pre-op, started 4/17 at 273 pounds. Surgery was 5/5 at 260. Today, 5/31, I am down to 247. I am eating whirred cottage cheese, nonfat greek yogurt to which I add either whipped pears, peaches or mandarin oranges. Also having refried beans which I used to detest but I seembto love them now. I love getting a little meat — we are allowed fish or chicken — but it stays in my pouch for several hours. iOccasionally I have smushed green beans or asparagus. Pureed carrots and broccoli — having issues digesting them; maybe too much fiber? I have come to really enjoy the Mio-type water flavorings. I really like that they don’t add single-use plastic bottles to our plastic pollution problems. My favorite flavors are black cherry & anything berry.

My full liquid diet only consists of water, various zero sugar waters, decaf tea and coffee, low fat or skim milk, Greek yogurt (low fat...vanilla or lemon or plain), broths, cream soups strained or bean soups blended, sugar free pudding or jello. THAT'S IT! No fruit, no oatmeal, no mashed potatoes, nothing else! Which is why I am so bored and over this stage already. Was on full liquid for 11 days prior to surgery and now two weeks after. Thankfully come Thursday I can move to puree stage! CANNOT WAIT as I no longer feel full or satisfied on this liquid phase. I USED to love soup but not anymore. Or I should say, I probably still would love it if I could have the substance that comes in it, not just the broth.

I’m close to you guys! Sleeve on 5/28. No pain meds, gas is settling down and I moving so much more today !! so tomorrow I can actually have some type of food! Even if it is the boring yogurt and proteins shakes but I’m excited for soup!! Any advice going into this phase?! As soon as I feel tortured or deprived I just keep thinking this is not forever we will get some satiation back! Time does fly ☺️

Here are some products I've discovered recently that I really like: Aldi has Keto buns. Awesome ones. I'm not a keto person, but I love these cause of the dietary (oat) fiber they pump them up with to make them keto. For 60 little calories....you get 8g of Protien, and a whopping 19g of Dietary fiber!!!! They've got 21g of carbs, but with the fiber, net carbs of only 2g. They're a small size, so not overwhelming for the small stomach crowd. Throw 2 ounces of Aldi Chicken Breast on there with some lettuce and tomato, and you've got an excellent little sandwich with 18g of Protien and 19g of Dietary Fiber....for only 135 calories! Diet Orange Julius smoothy. This hits the spot when I'm having a desert craving. Here's the recipe...roughly...adjust to taste. Three one inch pieces frozen banana, two large frozen strawberries, half cup of orange juice, splash of vanilla, half a cup 30 calorie almond milk (or skim cow milk), sweetener of choice (I use splenda and monkfruit). Blend this in your smoothie maker, sit on the porch and enjoy this drink that'll make you think of the mall in the late 80's / early90's. Good stuff! Monkfruit, but not the commercial brands, they suck. Go on Amazon and get real concentrated monkfruit drops with no added ingredients. (I like Monk Drops). For some people, Monkfruit has an aftertaste, for some it tastes incredibly close to real sugar with no aftertaste. I'm one of the lucky ones. I never had luck with Stevia because Stevia has a horrific aftertaste for me, but Monkfruit tastes terrific. If you're one of the people that gets an aftertaste from Monkfruit I apologize in advance. But I could drink the stuff straight and find it delicious. Maple Grove Farms Sugar Free Maple Syrup. I hate most sugar free maple syrups. This one has Excellent taste. 20 calories in HALF A CUP. If you like protien oatmeal pancakes...you need this. I also pour this on my steal cut oats. Homemade fried chicken! I have never made fried chicken in my life. Recently attended a healthy cooking class where we made keto fried chicken! Again, I'm not a huge keto fan, but this chicken was so good, I'd make it anyway. To start with, only the coating is fried...the chicken itself is boiled. We boiled the chicken until it was completely cooked in salty seasoned water...think bay leaves, sage, salt and pepper, thyme. Then we cooled the chicken and put cashews through the blender to make cashew flour. Wet your chicken with milk/egg wash and roll it in cashew flour with spices and about two tablespoons of flour fry mix mixed in. Coat it a couple times if you want. Then, flash fry it in 350 degree oil. You could probably do this in the air fryer, too? (I have not tried this) I actually submerged mine in oil....only for about a minute to make it nice golden brown. Yep, you've got some fat content and calories from the oil....but it's NOT greasy. The outside is crispy crunchy and the inside is moist and flavorful. A large chicken leg prepared this way only has about 150 calories, lots of protien, and hits the spot for summer picnics. Chickpea pasta salad. Love this. Everyone has a favorite pasta salad recipe. Mine goes sorta like this... Chickpea pasta, cherry tomatos, kalamata olives, reduced fat salami, English cukes, red onion, tiny diced swiss, diced bananna pepper....Dressing is Good Seasoning Italian dressing packet with balsamic vinegar, splenda, water, extra light olive oil. My beloved Chocolate Fudge Yasso frozen yogurt bars. 80 calories of "you'll never want icecream again". 6g of protien, too. I'll admit it. When I hit that incredibly horrible day when I want to eat a half gallon of ice cream.....I've been known to get a box of fudge Yassos and eat them all. But here's the difference. A four pack of Yassos is 320 calories and 24g of protien. Even feeling like I'm drowning my sorrows in ice cream....it's not a completely horrible nutritional choice. A little high in sugar, but not world ending. It is my emotional tantrum junkfood of choice. And while I try NOT to do this kinda maniac disordered eating anymore....it's nice to have a plan for when my brain slips once in a blue moon. (and it's a hell of a lot better than eating a half gallon of blue moon for instance) LOL A shot of Mio in iced tea can be superb! Crockpot sweet carrots with spenda instead of honey. They taste terrific. Black beans with salt and pepper, corn on the cob, and a plate of tomato slices with fresh basil, olive oil and a slice of fresh mozerella. And watermelon, of course:) OH! And another favorite....this one is slightly naughty. Strawberries mashed with splenda, chunks of mango, and a splash of ameretto liqueur. Eat this like strawberry shortcake, only use oat protien pancakes instead of shortcake. Happy Summer, Folks! If you've found some especially good diet-ey foods or products, be sure to mention them to the rest of us!

I think as you move towards regular foods you will find them helpful for portion control. This weeks lunches for work for me were 4oz containers of turkey chili, with a 2 oz container of nuts for a snack and a yogurt. I use my containers nearly daily, it keeps me on track. Eyeballing portions, in my experience, leads to over eating.

My taste totally changed after surgery. I would suggest waiting at least a few months out to start stocking up on stuff. My husband literally bought me one of every brand of yogurt they sell at the stores. I hated all of them. Around month 6 was when I could start eating "normal" again. Meaning I actually started liking the stuff I was eating before surgery (healthy stuff).

For real! Day 10 here and I usually LOVE soup but this just may change my mind about that. LOL It's like, when you feel hungry no amount of broth, water, or yogurt is gonna cut it. I NEED MEAT!! LOL

I have been doing great since my surgery on New Years Eve. I was losing weight well and only weigh myself once a week. I never had a stall and that is probably because I had covid and it hit my whole gastro system so I lost weight there too. I was still losing weight well this last week. I have lost nothing. I was like well here is my first stall and now I am still the same weight. I have added a frozen yogurt Yasso at night after dinner because it has been hot and I have not added a snack to my diet yet. I am wondering if my weight stall is normal at 5 months or if it is because I added something new to my diet that I should not be having. I never let my carbs for the day go over 50 and my protein is between 60 to 80. My calories are never over 1000 either. If I have higher carbs for the day I do not have the yogurt bar. Do you think this is normal? Should I put protein shakes back into my diet? Should I do my snack earlier in the day?

I started puréed food yesterday but was afraid to eat so I had a few tablespoons of Oikos Triple 0 Greek yogurt. It tasted like Heaven! Today for lunch I had a few tablespoons of Starkist chicken creations. I had the lemon pepper which was very good, though I though the lemon was a bit overpowering. Maybe it’s my tastebuds since that’s the first real piece of food I’ve had in over 3 weeks. Keep drinking your protein. I’m down 13 pounds since surgery, 18 since I started my liquid pre-op