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Woah, woah! Who said you had to eat those things “bland”? Depending on your plan use spices, add a little cheese to your eggs. Blend your cottage cheese with 1tbsp sugar free preserves to make an almost dessert. Add root beer flavored packets to vanilla protein shakes and freeze until it’s a slushy for a root beer float! Make a ricotta bake, is practically lasagna without the noodles or meat!!! So good! Make curried salmon salad using Greek yogurt as the base instead of Mayo. Do the same with tuna. Make some bisque soups! Creamy, filling and full of flavor. It’s not about sacrifice, it’s about using your tool to get the best results possible. You WILL get to where you need to be in time but it won’t happen overnight. I completely get the frustration of not losing when you want to. I’ve also had feeling of anger that I wouldn’t lost the weight and I’d be obese forever. Then again, I’ve had to do the post-op progression stages 3 separate times just last year but GI surgeries follow the same post-op diet. You will get there. Just have patience.

Hi! I had the sleeve tumor removal and hiatal hernia repair on 4/8 today was my first day back at work. Week one was rough! I am a healthcare worker who works 12 hr shifts so I had the same fears you are talking about. I am lucky enough that my program has its own app I am sure anyone can use it Baritastic. You can log everything you need. I set reminders every 30 mins to remind me to drink (at 14 days post op I can comfortably drink 2oz in about 5 mins) it took a lot of trial and error finding the right cup to drink out of. The easiest for me was the Yeti slider lid you can sip comfortably. I also set a reminder every 4 hours to eat/drink protein. It also has vitamin reminders. I bought toddler 4oz snack cups to put my yogurt, egg salad, and refried beans (I started purée yesterday). I drink in between Patients and take 15 min break to eat then my lunch break and 15 right now where I eat my 1/3 cup of which ever. Today worked out great I am getting my food and fluids in as hoped. I also started my day with a pre made protein shake. I was so afraid I wouldn’t have energy. I have been walking about 3 miles a day for the past 5 days but I took yesterday off, and today I just walked 15 mins at lunch. Hopefully this is helpful. Good luck!

I also eat Greek yogurt and fresh fruits if i crave for sweets

I've been keeping track of my weight loss and knew it would slow down once I started getting off the liquid phase and started introducing food back into my diet, but I've gained a pound now. I'm not eating unhealthy, aside from some frozen yogurt yesterday. Is it normal to see a pound or two weight gain as your eating food and becoming more active in the beginning? My surgery was 3/31/21 and I've lost 29 pounds, but up 1 pound this morning. Sent from my SM-G975U using BariatricPal mobile app

that early out I'd be still sticking to nutritionally dense things. The Quest chips that the above poster mentioned would probably fill the chip craving. I used to eat a lot of Greek yogurt when I had a sweet craving - sometimes regular, sometimes Carbmaster or Light & Fit - not sure if you like yogurt or not, though. Or sugar free pudding or sugar free Jello - I used to sometimes mix some protein powder in with my sugar free pudding to bump up the protein. And I often put a dollop of light Cool Whip on my Jello. I didn't eat popcorn until I was over a year out since it wasn't on my plan, but you'll be surprised at how much of that a person can put away, even after surgery. That's not very nutritious, either - well, other than it has fiber.

Until my surgery I'm on low carb, low/no sugar diet and eat the following when I get a sweet tooth. I imagine if you're that far out it should be fine for you too. Plain No Fat Greek Yogurt (about a cup) with a few tablespoons of Natural Peanut Butter (2-4 tbsp....just nuts and salt as ingredients), some cinnamon, and a little honey and made a "dip" for my apples. It's sooooo good! I also imagine you could eat the "dip" as is too. I also do a cup of Plain No Fat Greek Yogurt and mix in half to a full packet (the smaller ones) of the Hidden Valley Farms Ranch seasoning and dip my veggies in. Soooo good. I also take a tub of sugar free cool whip and then add in a small packet of any flavor sugar free pudding mix and sometimes even add in some Lily's Chocolate Chips, various flavors. Mix it all together and put it in the fridge and eat what ya want in moderation. As for chips, have you checked out the Quest Chips? Kind of expensive but really good! There;s also various brands and flavors of Parmesan Crisps out there. It's nothing but cheese and whatever spices/seasonings if any.

Did I try blended foods a bit early? Yes, and no. Yes, in that I did work with blended foods - strained, and not so strained, soups, and lumpier things, in that time frame, but no, as in it was not early - it was part of our normal progression to try those things from the first week out, if we could tolerate them (scrambled eggs, yogurt, pureed anything in the hospital, for that matter.) The key rule was to try new things one at a time to test for tolerance, as one may or may not be ready for it. Things like tuna salad were on our menu for the entire first month as part of the transition to all other "real" foods in the second month. And one mushy or pureed item may go down better than another, so one "failure" doesn't necessarily doom an entire class of foods. If something doesn't work, go back to familiar things and try it again in a week or two. Go easy on it, but don't fret about having damaged something if you aren't feeling anything off.

I'm so sorry you are struggling. At 4 weeks I was eating: Greek yogurt - I liked the Fage Blueberry Beans: Pureed with cheese and onions Very soft scrambled eggs Cream soups (no lumps) Cream of wheat with cheese and thyme Protein smoothies I hope you figure out what works for you! Lori

Hello All! I have just three days left on the Full liquids diet, but know that some of the things I'm eating now will continue into my puree/blended diet. Can anyone offer an alternatives of liquids other than protein shakes, protein water, and yogurt/pudding? I find myself craving savory/salty things instead. Like just a lick of some alfredo sauce or something that I can actually consume that is savory. Thanks in advance for the advice! Anastasia

Sautee 1 cup chopped onion in 1-2 T oil. Let them soften. Add finely diced carrots and celery if you like (I don't) and cook until softened. Sometimes I'll add sliced mushrooms here. Add 3 or more minced cloves garlic and cook 30 second to one minute Add 1lb ground turkey (or chicken or beef), stirring until no longer pink Add 2-3 T chili seasoning (I like Penzey's Chili 9000) and 1tsp or more cumin, plus 1-2 T unsweetened cocoa powder, and 1 tsp cinnamon and stir to coat. 1 T of brown sugar is a nice addition but not necessary Add 1 28 oz can of crushed or diced tomatoes Add 1 1/2 to 2 cups of broth Add 1 15 oz can of beans, rinsed (kidney or black beans are both great) I like to add about a cup of frozen corn and a bag of cauliflower rice right from the freezer at this stage, but you can add a lot of different frozen veggies. I love the sweetness of the corn, and the texture. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, adjusting seasonings and cook for at least 30 minutes, but it gets better after an hour or so. Serve with plain Greek yogurt and shredded cheese (and onions if you like).

I'm 9 months out from gastric bypass. I eat fairly simple meals because I can only eat small portions -- mainly meat and vegetables. I usually eat about 2 ounces of protein (chicken/turkey/pork/eggs/fish -- I almost never eat beef because I've heard that a lot of bariatric patients have issues with it) in a meal with a side of vegetables (usually lightly sprayed with olive or avocado oil, tossed with seasonings, and roasted in the air fryer). I eat a lot of salads with chicken and light dressing. I also eat a lot of cauliflower rice, which is funny because I have always hated cauliflower, but cauliflower rice is genius and I find it to be a good substitution for real rice. In case you don't know, most bariatric patients don't eat rice because it expands in the stomach and can be uncomfortable (not to mention empty calories and carbs). I don't miss rice AT ALL because I can eat cauliflower rice any time I want. There are some frozen cauliflower rice products available with different flavors and mix-ins (but you have to be careful to look at the ingredients and nutrition for those). I combine cauliflower rice with different meats, sauces, and veggies for variety. Examples: Taco chicken + black beans + salsa + cauliflower rice Carnitas + pico de gallo + cauliflower rice Lemon garlic chicken + air-fried asparagus + vegetable medley cauliflower rice Asian chicken + "fried rice style" cauliflower rice + green beans I love going on Pinterest to find bariatric-friendly recipes. There are some keto recipes that work, but I'm careful with those because some of them are too rich -- full of heavy cream, cream cheese, cheese, coconut oil, etc. Recipes labeled as "Weight Watchers" are often a good bet; they sometimes have rice or pasta, which aren't bariatric-friendly but easy enough to omit or substitute. I've found some good and healthy soup, chili, and casserole recipes. And I still enjoy ricotta bake (topped with turkey meat sauce -- it's like a noodle-less lasagna). These are all great to freeze in individual portions for quick meals (same goes for cooked meat). Thanks to tiny serving sizes, you can get tons of portions out of one meal. I have a freezer full of bariatric portions of various foods. When I first got to the solid food stage, I struggled to meet my protein goals, so I had to supplement with protein shakes and powders, but now I get most of my protein from meat/eggs/fish/yogurt. I still eat a daily protein bar and/or protein mug cake just because I enjoy it (I'm obsessed with Built Bars because they taste like candy bars so I can have a treat without going off my plan), but most of the food I eat is just basic, good, healthy stuff.

My programs approuch to eating phases is: clear liquid = until hospital discharge (1 day for me) full liquids = 4 weeks (greek yogurt counts) Pureed = 3 weeks soft food = 2 weeks I've followed this strictly and have had no issues. It was scary to transition stages, but I took it easy and everything went well. The worst I had was a couple of instances of discomfort from eating something that sat a little heavier in my tummy (like chilli) too quickly. I learned to go slower with these foods and, even when it was the same volume as other foods, to expect that I'd need to eat it in two sittings. I'm in the soft foods stage now, during liquid and pureed stages the options were limited which did get old. Full liquid stage all I ate was protein shakes, greek yogurt, protein cocoa, and strained bariatric protein soups. Here is what I lived on, in addition to supplemental protein shakes, during the pureed stage: Refried beans with a little Valentina sauce and a small amount of melted cheese My version of ricotta bake (made with cottage cheese, I don't like ricotta) Tuna salad (For some reason, the idea of pureeing tuna didn't turn me off, but any other meat did so I never branched out. Tuna sat suprisingly well in my tummy. Also, I made this with pureed cottage cheese instead of mayo, more protein, and my tummy hasn't liked mayo yet) "Tuna melt bake" just ricotta bake with tuna added. (I like tuna melts and this was one of my favorite things to eat.) Pureed homemade chilli (also a favorite, but I had to be careful since it sat heavier in my tummy) Soft baked yam mixed into yogurt with PB2 added (tastes better than it sounds) Poached egg or soft scrambled egg (the poached eggs were especially easy on my tummy) Just plain cottage cheese or cottage cheese with 1-2 slices of pureed peach or a little mashed banana (sat great in my tummy) Egg salad (again, made with pureed cottage cheese - I don't know what I would have done without cottage cheese! 😂) Mashed banana with PB2 (l liked this the least, only ate it a few times)

I am not a big fan of meat, although I love veggies, fruits, cheese, dairy, etc. I also loved bread and sweets, which is how I got so overweight. I haven't had surgery yet but I have switched to low carb and have been adding more protein via greek yogurt, protein drinks, and more fish and meat (small servings) and I have lost 27 lbs in 3 months! I couldn't believe it. The best part is, I'm not as hungry as I used to be when I ate more carbs. I also find that I crave sweets less now that I eat fewer sweet things (I still eat a fair amount of fruit). I am now a little concerned about what @Ellen_Marie is saying because some days I'm well over 100 g of protein now. I'll have to ask my surgery center.

You are right on I watched a great utube video yesterday from a surgeon I stopped the yogurt and soup yesterday I had my first day with no dumping so I’m gonna continue. Thanks

Hi @Lorey_a! I was only on liquids for like a week or two post surgery and then on puree for like 4+ weeks. I ate (and still eat) mostly yogurt, chili, protein drinks (so far fairlife is my fav) and salmon. For whatever reason salmon really sits well with me. I also would eat grilled/baked chicken breast and rotisserie chicken when I didn't feel like cooking. Also, I would snack on cheese sticks and sunflower seeds (my nutritionist warned against the seeds though so don't do it!). I didn't actually blend my food, I just chewed it for a long time (my nutritionist said that was OK). That worked well for me. Mostly, I just eat the protein and have yet to really stomach any sides. I dont have much room for them when Im done with my meat anyway. I really want to be able to eat potatoes but my stomach says NO. I can however have some frozen carrot slices from Trader Joe's without an issue . I'm on soft foods/solids now and experiment a lot more but for the most part, everything I experiment with makes me feel bad so I end up just going back to what I know. I think my body is the best indicator of when Im ready to move on. My worst reaction so far was with popcorn. I had a handful today and literally curled up in bed regretting it!

I start mine on Wednesday. Mine is two weeks. First week I get one pack of oatmeal then 6 servings of liquid (protein drinks, soups). Second week, no oatmeal, just the liquids. I can add in a light greek yogurt and some jello if needed. Sadly no veges for me. Not sure how I'm going to manage!

I am a breakfast eater. I know that puts me in the minority but it works for me. I bought a Dash Eggbite maker so I make eggbites a lot and have them with fruit. Oatmeal with pumpkin puree and lily's chocolate chips. A mini bagel with a yogurt.

JellI seems ok cottage cheese seems ok I’ve only had yogurt, cottage cheese, chicken soup with small noodles that’s it today I’m trying no yogurt or soup see how I do. Nothing gives me cramps just instant diherrea

I can’t figure it out happens at least twice a day no warning I have a portable pot next to my bed I hardiy make it out of bed. Usually happens after I have broth or yogurt

@BluesLily: None whatsoever. I tried eggs, no problem. Second time, cramps galore. Cottage cheese, first time, crazy pain. Second time ok until half way through. Pain with peaches. Pain with Greek yogurt, but not light yogurt. Fine with Tofu, until halfway through second portion. It’s random and VERY painful.

We all have such different programs. For me, it's the following: 1 week of clear liquids 7 days total 2 weeks full liquids which allows me to add yogurt, cream soups, and apples (with 30 mins gaps for water) 14 days total 3 weeks soft or what I guess you guys call purree (with 30 mins gaps for water) 21 days total So, for each stage, it increases in duration (one week long, 2 weeks long, 3 weeks long) Then at 6 weeks post surgery, full foods with certain requirements and at the size limits set and 30 mins before and after water

Same here. No cold at all. Each morning, I put items on my kitchen counter that I will need for the day. So, it just sits there and gets room temperature. I'm on Stage 2 now which includes yogurt. I leave yogurt out for a little while also. It's still safe, but I cant eat it cold. In the hospital, I vomited each time I ate ice chips or drano cold water. Lesson learned. Cost me an extra day in the hospital due to the nausea and vomiting.

I can’t figure it out I’m having yogurt at night and cottage cheese that’s it for food

Does your doctor have you on a PPI? Sometimes excess stomach acid can cause that rumbly feeling and mistake it as hunger signals. Also, as you progress in to more solid foods you may feel your restriction more. Try choosing the most dense foods within the parameters set by your team. Ex: thick Greek yogurt will likely keep you more satisfied than think soup, jello, or applesauce.

Hi! Welcome to the forums! How much weight you will lose in the first week(s) of liquid diet really depends on many things. Did you lose alot of weight already before starting liquids? Are you "full" liquids, or "only" liquids ("full" liquids includes soups, some cereals, yogurts, etc...). Is your starting weight on the high or low side? Are you on your period? Salt-intake? These and so many other factors will affect your weight/water weight loss that first week(s). My pre-op diet was for two weeks and consisted on 3 protein shakes a day (though sometimes I only had 2). Total calories per day for those two weeks were between 450-675 (each protein shake was 225 cals). I lost 8 lbs the first week, then 3 lbs the second. I started at 235, and had not lost any weight prior to starting the 2 week pre-op diet.