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So, I'm 6 weeks post op and this weekend all of a sudden, I can't get anything down without being in the bathroom immediately. Been on typical soft food diet - Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, egg beaters, tuna. This weekend had a protein shake and immediately had chills, dizziness, sweating, cramps and straight to the bathroom. Decided to step back and just have unsweetened tea and water. Both give me the same thing. Odd that the water of all things give me severe cramping and immediate need to go to the bathroom. I was at the tail end of a 10 day stall, so not sure if this is all playing a role? Have lost 6 pounds since Friday. Any thoughts?

RNYTalk Newsletter By Hey, RNYTalk.com members!! Summer’s over and we’re into the beautiful days of early autumn. No matter where you live, we hope you’re getting a chance to get out and enjoy the weather! Any activity you do counts toward your weight loss, health and pleasure, so make an effort to get outside and get moving. Don’t forget to take your RNYTalk.com app with you so you can read the newsletter and keep up with the boards! Here’s what you’ll find in October’s newsletter. Member Spotlight: Meet Stacey dayonne! Bypass Challenge: Lend a Hand! Having a Healthy Autumn: A Few Tips for Parents – and Other Busy RNYTalk.com Members! Weight Loss Surgery: Not the Easy Way Out! Can’t wait to get started? Neither can we! Enjoy the newsletter and please feel free to let us know what you think! Thanks for your support. Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder dinner for your spouse even when it’s not your turn. This challenge does more than make someone else’s life easier. It makes you value yourself more when you see how powerful you can be just by being kind to others. Don’t forget to let us know how you helped someone! What did you do? How did it make you feel? Let us know how it goes in the food, fitness and more! It’s never too late to try something new and exciting! Make It a Healthy Autumn: A Few Tips for Parents – and Other Busy RNYTalk.com Members! Okay, we know that the autumn is a busy time of year. If you’re a parent, your children are back in school and their activities are in full swing. You may be juggling work with your chauffeuring, catering and cleaning business – aka, taking care of your family! Most of us are pretty busy even if we’re not parents. It’s easy to use not having enough time as an excuse for getting off track with your weight loss. You might eat foods that you know you shouldn’t because you feel you just can’t squeeze in the time to prepare a healthy snack. We’ve all done it. You rush out the door in the morning and are busy all day. Some of these happen along the way. You are starving by lunchtime and grab a few truffles that give you severe dumping syndrome. You go by the vending machine for a soft drink that’ll make you feel sick within minutes. You realize at the end of the day that you haven’t stopped to drink for hours, and you have a headache and your stomach hurts. You know you should be eating lean Protein, but the closest thing you can find is pepperoni from the company’s pepperoni pizza – so to be polite, you eat the entire slice and it causes an obstruction. You start to depend on Protein shakes because those are the closest thing to a healthy meal that you can find at the company cafeteria. You don’t have to let a hectic schedule get in the way of your health! What can you do about it? Here are a few tips to make the most out of every day Prepare some of your meals and Snacks at the beginning of the week. Wash your fruits and vegetables so they’re easy to prepare when you need them. Cook some your Proteins - chicken breast, fish, seafood, lean beef and/or veggie burgers – and freeze them in single-serving baggies or containers. Cook up bigger batches, put them in single-serving containers and freeze them so you can defrost them when you’re ready to eat them. This is a great option for healthy side dishes, such as whole wheat Pasta, carrots or Beans. (You don’t have to make too much, since your single portions post-surgery are pretty small). Place snacks in single-serving bags if you buy a multi-serving package Plan your Breakfast the night before so you don’t have to think about it in the morning. Take the time to make a grocery list. It’ll save you time in the end. Using a list will keep you from forgetting foods and needing to go back to the store during the week. You’ll be faster in the store because you won’t get distracted. Sticking to a list will keep you from buying foods you shouldn’t. Buy ingredients for breakfast Buy snack foods Make sure you drink enough. Stash Water bottles in your car and at work and keep them filled. It’ll encourage you to drink throughout the day and you won’t have to take the time to run to the kitchen each time you need to drink. Stick a pitcher of water in the fridge so you see it several times a day. Keep healthy snacks at work so you never find yourself starving with nothing healthy to eat. Beef Jerky and canned tuna, chicken, beans, vegetables keep for months. Frozen foods to consider keeping around include grilled chicken and fish, veggie burgers and vegetables. Yogurt, low-fat cheese, cottage cheese and deli meats are high-protein snacks to keep in the fridge for a week or more. The more you plan, the better off you’ll be. You’ll save time and be more likely to eat well. And remember – you’re worth it! We suggest picking one or two strategies and working on them until you master them, then moving on to a new tip. Let us know how helpful the tips are! That’s a lot to chew on for this newsletter, so we’re going to end it here. There’s no end to the news, tips and conversations over at RNYTalk.com, so come on over via your computer, smartphone or Kindle! You can always check out the old newsletters, too, in the Newsletter Forum. Thanks for coming along in this newsletter and for being part of our fantastic community! We couldn’t do it without you. Have a great month and take care of yourself and each other, Alex. ==============================================================If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, you may unsubscribe by going to your Control Panel and clicking on the Newsletters tab, or clicking on the following link: {unsubscribe}

I'm pretty addicted to Questbars at this point. I love the chocolate chip cookie dough flavor and have two a day. One for "breakfast" and one at the very end of the day, about an hour before I go to bed. Between those two bars, I get 42 grams of protein, so getting 40-ish more with my lunch, dinner, and snacks isn't too challenging. Just put protein first every thime you eat! My snacks are always greek yogurt or "meat sticks" (like beef sticks but made with turkey or pork too). My lunches and dinners are always meat/seafood or meat and beans. I'll sometimes have an egg and/or cheese in there as well.

Hard to say! I have a Protein shake and a Protein Bar each day. Then I typically have a Lean Cuisine or Atkins frozen dinner emphasizing veggies and protein for dinner, 8-9oz. A greek yogurt now and then. I also eat some fruit, and some whole grains/fiber, like: slice of protein enriched bread w/peanut butter, or an over-easy egg, or a little chicken salad bowl of Cheerios or All-Bran or Post Shredded Wheat & Bran with organic fat-free milk Fiber enriched low sugar oatmeal with wild blueberries I am basically just trying to eat healthy and light, probably average 1000 calories or so. That's not very much, so I am losing weight about the same rate I did before surgery.

Precious, everybody's sleeve is different. I never counted anything (and still don't), mostly because I have to eat what my sleeve will allow--and, for good or ill, it doesn't let me eat foods that aren't good for me (can't tolerate fried foods, most flour products, sweets). However, it also doesn't let me eat good-for-me foods like chicken, eggs, tuna, etc., so it's a trade off. Since you're having such a difficult time trying to do the "standard" things, why not try something else? Maybe aim to get some Protein through vegetable sources--get some bean Soup and zap it in the blender and heat that up and eat it. Split pea with ham. Vegetarian chili that has TVP (textured vegetable protein) instead of meat--zap them up so they're smooth and try those. My point is, low-carbing will work for a good number of folks, but not everyone. If your sleeve won't tolerate a lot of the typical protein foods (tuna, chicken, whatever), you obviously can't eat those, and a lot of very healthy, non-animal-protein-based foods are going to come with some carbs. Since you can't keep a lot of solid stuff down yet, I say don't worry about your carbs too much and just try to find a set of foods you can eat that are tolerable. I lived for the first few months on yogurt, spoons of Peanut Butter, cottage cheese, and soup--literally ate soup every day. You'll be glad later that your sleeve is picky--right now, it STINKS, but as you heal and progress, you'll be happy to have that picky thing that keeps you from eating what you shouldn't. Hang in there, my friend!!

I'm 4 weeks post op and haven't been able to keep anything besides liquids down. No protein shakes pureed foods yogurt jello pudding applesauce-NOTHING! I came to the emergency room and they've admitted me! I'll have an endoscopy in the morning.

I would not worry too much about the carb thing right now. Just eat what you can, protein mostly like soups, broths, yogurt, jello sf, pudding sf, cottage cheese. These are all good foods. Like MegInNola stated. Do the best you can and try not to stress tooooo much....

Cincinnati style chili would likely be fine - it's much smoother and milder than other kinds. I made thick fruit smoothies during that time - some greek yogurt or plain add your fav fruit, some ice cubes and blend - thick creamy and tasty. I did creamed pototos with chicken broth and a little cheese- I really enjoyed that.

I buy groceries bi-weekly (on payday). Here are some things I always get: nuts yogurt protein shakes fresh fruit- all kinds (lovin watermelon and cantalope right now) fresh veggies- spaghetti squash, fresh corn on the cob, etc. frozen mixed veggies lentils Tostitos spinach dip- I use it in everything, even in whole wheat pasta salad instead of salad dressing! protein bars cheese to snack on whole grain crackers 100 calorie popcorn

My nutritionist likes to say there are no "bad" foods, just foods you shouldn't eat as often as others. I tend to agree. I also like to look at this as a lifestyle change and not a diet- I do track calories as well, but just so I know I'm getting enough Protein and sticking to lower calorie. I was also told to have some calorie wiggle room, such as 1000-1200 a day instead of a set number like 1000. Some days you are physically hungrier and need more food than others. Yesterday I was physically experiencing the painful hunger pains even though I had already eaten dinner. I chose to have a yogurt and my hunger was gone.

My list is this: Calcium (1000-2000mg) B-12 (dissolve kind) Protein shakes Isopure drinks broth Low fat Greek yogurt Carnation instant Breakfast, sugar-free I already have the other Vitamins, pill crusher, comfy clothes for the hospital, Protein powder, timer to wear, and it am sure a few things that I am forgetting.

I understand. Different facilities have varying protocols. Which really just goes to show you that there are no such rules set in stone. Pretty much everyone you talk to has a different nutrition format to follow whether it be standard or individualized. Yours sounds really strict and that must be difficult. The dietitian's on my Bariatric team recommend 5 grams of fat and 14 grams of sugar or less per serving. I even find that hard sometimes and wouldn't want to have my grams any lower that's for sure. Hope you have been able to find foods that are satisfying within such small gram amounts. And I hope you won't have to wait a whole year to taste my "new yogurt find" Blessings To Ya

For those of you who live more on the west side of the US where Safeway stores are or if your local stores in your area carry Lucerne brands, Lucerne low fat frozen yogurt is absolutely excellent!! I am not kidding. They only make a hand full of flavors but they are fabulous. And the price is so very affordable. I got some today on sale 2/$5.00 and the regular price is $2.99 for the large size which is 1.5 quart. It contains 0.5 grams of fat, 14 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of Protein per 1/2 cup...............WOW!! I couldn't wait to share this info I am currently enjoying the Black Cherry chocolate Chip and it is heavenly. I am 4 weeks post op as of today and so happy to have found this item I couldn't keep it to myself. Lucerne also makes a Chocolate & vanilla. I have emailed the company to see what other flavors Lucerne makes because sometimes not all stores will carry the entire line. I also requested coupons as well. I have uploaded a pic of the item........... ENJOY BARIATRIC PALS Vitamins Form.pdf

i cud have binged all day... every day.. and be comfortable... after being banded.. i think it honestly depends on what i eat.. um like if i eat yogurt.. imma be hungry in 2 hrs.. ( and by yogurt i mean 6 oz) if i eat 6 oz of beef.. i would more than likely be full for a good 6 or 7 hrs. my meals are pretty much abt 6 to 8 oz of anything on any given day.

I eat lots of chicken...baked, chicken parmesan, chicken salad, chicken teriyaki, etc I also eat quite a bit of lean ground beef in the form of burgers with spinach, avocado, cheese, spinach and pickles (no bun), chili with lots of veg, meatloaf, taco salad with ground beef cooked with taco seasoning, lettuce, spinach, avocado, salsa and whatever lowfat dressing I want(no shell, just a bowl). I eat tuna at least twice a week with some lowfat miracle whip, and celery in it...sometimes with a few crackers, sometimes not. I eat eggs and egg whites in the form of omelets, scrambled, and hard boiled. I found a Protein supplement called nectar that I really like. I get the strawberry mousse flavor, and blend it up with Water, two frozen strawberries and a little stevia. Then I top it with sugar free whipped cream. Quite tasty. I eat a ton of cottage cheese with strawberries, blueberries and a bit of stevia. I also keep a variety of lowfat cheeses around to grab when I'm in a hurry. I eat Peanut Butter or almond butter as a treat. Sometimes if I'm dying for a goody, I put two dark chocolate chips in my tablespoon of peanut butter. Another time I was dying for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but obviously bread and jelly aren't great options. I just took a tablespoon of Peanut Butter and threw in five or six blueberries. Got rid of the craving and it was a perfectly acceptable snack. I keep small packs of beef Jerky around for the times that I really have to run, but have forgotten to eat, which happens often since surgery. It does have a lot of sodium and nitrates so you have to be careful with that, but if you really need a high protein snack...it'll pack a punch at around 15 grams an ounce. Organic is also an option if you're worried about nitrates or hormones in your meat. I also eat a lot of greek yogurt. I used to eat the DELICIOUS fruited varieties, but they can have a lot of sugar. Now I eat the no fat, plain kind and add my own fruit and stevia. There really are a lot of options out there once you get the hang of it, but it is so hard in the beginning when your stomach is picky and nothing really tastes all that great. This blog has been mentioned on here a ton and for good reason...it is PACKED with great ideas. Just browse through and you'll find a ton of high protein recipes for everything from casseroles to Protein shakes, to protein ice cream. Great resource. http://theworldaccor...e.blogspot.com/

Is Reser’s seafood salad acceptable during the purée stage? I’m 2.5 weeks post op and my doc has me on purée. I’ve done homemade refried beans and can tolerate it some, scrambled eggs, broths, yogurts. I’m burnt on protein shakes and I’m trying to work on getting protein from food as much as I can even though it’s quite difficult at this stage. I’m wondering if the seafood salad would help me at all or if I should avoid it at all cost

1 - some foods are easier then others but you get to know what your body can tolerate and what it can't. it does not hurt but if your body is not happy with it it will let you know. you are full very easily and yes at times you will get nauseous and even throw up. 2 - i felt no pain at all. i was on a morphine drip the first day and they disconnected it the second. they tried to give me pain meds in my iv but it did not sit well so i told them i didn't want any more. 3 - because my dr. put me on low carbs as soon as i had a consult with him it was easy for me to get used to not eating the carbs after the fact. sometimes i can honestly say i get frustrated because i think i am hungry make food and then i take a bite and am not hungry. i am 6 1/2 weeks out and yogurt has been my best friend. 4 - as of now - no regrets at all i am 40 lbs down since surgery on jan. 12, 2011. i am very happy with the results thus far. 5 - sometimes i think i don't want to be able to ever eat "normal" food again cause i don't want to gain any weight back. but i just keep thinking to what my dr. told me, no pretzels, popcorn, crackers, chips, Pasta or rice. no ice cream even if its sugar free. all of these foods are snack foods and they will stretch your pouch and make you more hungry. one thing tho. i did stop drinking soda completely 6-8 months prior to surgery. 2 months prior i stopped drinking coffee and any caffeine these two things were probably the best thing i could of done to prepare. good luck on your journey - keep us posted. I've been reading a bit on these forums and I have some questions. 1. I've noticed a couple of people mention they can hardly get food down after the surgery. Why is this? Does it hurt? Are you simply full? Nauseous? 2. Do you feel any pain the surgery? 3. Just how hard is it? If you're hungry in your head (which I'm thinking happens a lot), how do you work through that? Do you crave solid food or is the liquid diet doable? 4. Did any of you regret having the surgery? 5. Can you ever eat normal food again? Ok, I think that's all for now. Thanks for the info and feel free to throw anything else in there that I forgot. : )

Lauriann, I just started adding food back in yesterday. Never thought I'd be so excited to eat Malt-O-Meal...lol I'm just eating what my Doctor calls the full liquid diet for a week. Yogurt, Mash potatoes, cream soups, fat free puddings. I know I'm not getting many calories. Their main concern is protein. I'm supposed to use two scoops per day and I'm having some issues figuring out how to get it all in. I've added one scoop to smoothies and I drink that throughout the day. I guess I'll try adding both tomorrow and see. I've also been adding dry non fat milk to things before I eat them and that helps with the protein. I have my nutritionist appt next Tuesday so I know I'll have a lot of questions for her. Make sure you're taking your vitamins. I'm also taking a chewable calcium supplement each day too. I know I'm a little lack luster as far as energy goes but I'm sure it will come back as we add calories. Good luck and keep going!!

Happy Halloween from BariatricPal!#subject#> body,div,dl,dt,dd,ul,ol,li,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6,pre,form,fieldset,input,textarea,p,blockquote,th,td { margin:0; padding:0; } table { border-collapse:collapse; border-spacing:0; } fieldset,img { border:0; } address,caption,cite,code,dfn,th,var { font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; } caption,th { text-align:left; } h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { font-size:100%; font-weight:normal; } q:before,q:after { content:''; } abbr,acronym { border:0; } address{ display: inline; } html, body { background-color: #d8dde8; color: #5a5a5a; } body { font: normal 13px helvetica, arial, sans-serif; position: relative; } h3, strong { font-weight: bold; } em { font-style: italic; } img, .input_check, .input_radio { vertical-align: middle; } legend { display: none; } table { width: 100%; } td { padding: 3px; } a { color: #225985; text-decoration: none; } a:hover { color: #328586; } div.outer { margin: 0 auto; padding: 14px; } table.wrap { max-width: 800px; margin: 0 auto; } td.logo { background-color: #0f3854; padding: 8px; } td.content { background-color: #fff; font-size: 14px !important; color: black !important; line-height: 150% !important; padding: 8px; } ul { margin-left: 25px; } Hey BariatricPal Members! Happy Halloween! It’s a fun time and the beginning of the holiday season. We’re celebrating a lot here at BariatricPal, and we’re super excited to share it with you! Here’s what’s in this newsletter. The BariatricPal Store: Grand Opening! Your Ready for the Holidays? Thanks for your support and for making it possible for BariatricPal continue to grow. There’s no way we could do it without you. Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder, BariatricPal Grand Opening of The BariatricPal Store! We are so excited to announce the grand opening of The BariatricPal Store! We know, The BariatricPal Store doesn’t fit into a Halloween newsletter because it’s anything but spooky, but we just can’t stop talking about it! That’s why we’re offering 10% off all orders with coupon code SPOOKY10 just for you! Your Source for Bariatric Protein, Meals, Snacks, and supplements Weight loss surgery changes everything, especially your diet. You need to get enough protein without too many calories; eat a nutritious diet while keeping portions in check; and get your Vitamins and minerals without fail. It can be overwhelming and time-consuming…unless you have help. The BariatricPal Store can give you the help you need. We have the protein supplements, meals, snacks, and vitamins to help you lose weight and get healthy. Protein bars, shakes, and powders. Low-calorie, high-protein snacks, Entrees and breakfasts. Bariatric vitamins and Fiber supplements. Make Weight Loss Shopping Easy We know you need the top products, and they need to be healthy, nutritionist-approved, and convenient. We have all that! We also have: Tons of BariatricPal brand products. Product packages so you can pick up a bundle at once for a discounted price. meal plans for the pre-op and post-op diets, plus maintenance and back-on-track diets, so you can easily pick up the foods you need to stay on track. Sampler packs of different items so you can try different varieties to see which you like best. Other Reasons to Shop The BariatricPal Store We truly believe we’re number one. Here are just a few more reasons why. Subscribe and Save options on every product so you can get automatic re-delivery, 5% discounts, and free shipping on each order. Lowest prices – guaranteed. Free shipping on orders over $69. Save money with sales and discounts plus our Refer-A-Friend program. For help, you can look at the FAQs, give us a call at 855 WLS-BPAL (855 957-725), or use our live chat with a customer service specialist during business hours. Visit store.bariatricpal.com often to see current specials, and check out our blog for updates on promotions and new products. We can’t wait to take this next step in helping you reach your weight loss and health goals! Your Healthy Halloween Plan Halloween is about costumes, haunted houses, and scares. Unfortunately, some of the “scares” are the ones that show up on the scale if you eat too many Halloween treats, or the “scares” that come from feeling sick from too much sugar. You don’t have to experience the bad scares this Halloween, though. The trick? Plan ahead! Here are a few things to think about as Halloween approaches. Trick-Or-Treating Almost everyone is affected by trick-or-treating. If you have kids, you’ll probably find one or several big bags of Halloween candy showing up at your home when they come back from trick-or-treating. Your best defense here is to have a healthy dinner before taking them out. Then, focus on anything other than candy – you might fix your children’s costumes, be the flashlight holder, or designate yourself as the neighborhood crossing guard to keep kids safe. If you don’t have children, you may be the one handing out candy to the neighborhood children, which probably means buying a bunch of candy to give out. If that’s the case, you’re best off choosing candy that you don’t like that much, so you’re less tempted to eat it. Again, have a healthy dinner, and focus on other things besides candy for the evening. You might work on answering the door in a scary way, or taking photos of the cute costumes you see to share with the kids’ parents tomorrow. The Aftermath No matter what happens on your weight loss surgery journey, there’s always tomorrow. After Halloween, “tomorrow” is November 1. Take inventory. See what’s in your home that shouldn’t be there. Get rid of the extra candy. If you must keep some candy in your house because of your kids, make sure it’s not tempting you. You can always ask them to hide it away in their rooms. You can also make a game out of it: have them label each piece so they and you will both know if you “steal” some. Go for a walk. There’s nothing like a walk to clear your head and get you ready to go back to healthy eating patterns. Halloween’s scary, but it shouldn’t be scary because of the weight gain. It should be scary because of the fun things you get to do. With a little planning, that’s exactly how your Halloween can be. Healthy Halloween Tips Did you know there are tons of fun things you can do to get into the Halloween spirit without touching a piece of candy? Here are a few ideas! Go for a Walk It’s true…walking is really quite a good answer to most questions. How to burn off a few extra calories before Halloween? Go for a walk. How to enjoy the Halloween decorations in your neighborhood? Go for a walk. How to let your kids show off their Halloween costumes to all the neighbors? Go for a walk. Get the point? Get moving! Volunteer That’s right. You may think that volunteering is just asking for trouble, since you may be faced with a lot of candy. In truth, it’s a chance to be surrounded by the Halloween spirit while being so busy you don’t have time to grab a treat. Volunteering at a local school, homeless shelter, or retirement home can be the perfect way to immerse yourself in Halloween. Help decorate for a party, serve treats, clean up afterwards, or help make costumes. You’ll be appreciated, and you’ll get to be a part of the holiday in a way that’s healthy for your body and soul. Make Healthy Treats It’s true…treats make Halloween so much better. But you can do better than chocolate, candy corn, and decorated Cookies and cupcakes. Here are a few ideas. Greek yogurt popsicles: Use a little sweetener and keep them white for ghosts, or add some pumpkin and cinnamon and shape them into pumpkin shapes. Then you can decorate them like jack-o-lanterns! Jack-o-lantern orange protein cups: hollow out oranges to leave the peel mostly intact. You can “carve” a face in the peel shell to make it look like a jack-o-lantern, and fill it with cottage cheese or fruit. Greek yogurt “eyes:” freeze circular spoonfuls of Greek yogurt with blueberries for eyes. A happy, safe, and healthy Halloween however you choose to Celebrate it. Don’t forget to come talk about yours on the boards at BariatricPal! See you there!

Thinking about what I ate before the lap band actually makes me ill. For breakfast I would eat two huge bowls of sugary cereal. Lunch was a fast food meal, complete with a huge greasy burger or chicken sandwich, fries, and soda. Dinner was usually similar, except I would wash it down with ice cream or candy. Add to this loads of unhealthy snacks like candy, chips, doughnuts, cookies etc. No wonder I weighed 251 pounds at my highest! I was probably eating at least 5000 calories a day. Now breakfast usually consists of oatmeal or a greek yogurt with some sliced almonds. Lunch is often a Boca Chik'n patty and steamed veggies, and dinner is a lean protein with veggies. I do snack but I try to keep it healthy, like almonds. I'm not perfect, but WAY better than I used to be.

Dear New, Possibly the doc thinks u know what to do from ur previous experience...what a lack of support. Id let them know u didn't appreciate it. My doc hd m on clear liquid for 2 weeks.the clear liquid included 6 oz of ensure plus low sodium broth, non caf tea/coffee, Water and crystal lite if I wanted. Last week gave me yogurt, thin Cereal, nonfat milk, cottage cheese (1%) and baked potato. This week added fish and eliminated potato and cereal. Next week get chicken/turkey and 4th week get red meat. Jan 15, I start eating a certain number of Proteins (54????). I'm not sure what happens with the 6oz rule on the 15th. My contact at the surgeons office is off this week, as well. I'm upset for u that they didn't give u clearer guidelines. Good luck!

Alexandra I've been following your posts and have a question. If I remember correctly, you had your surgery on 8/20. I'm right behind you - on 8/26. So, you're just 1 1/2 weeks post-op. Correct? And you're on mushy food already??? I'm amazed. I am just 4 days post-op and am on Clear liquids until next Tuesday, then I have a week of full liquids (Protein drinks and yogurt, etc.), before I am allowed to go to mushy foods in week three. I'm surprised that you are able to be on mushy (and soft?) already. Nice to hear though. What are the guidelines your doctor gives you? Your words of wisdom about protein are helpful. Actually, I'm pretty amazed I'm not starving right now. I've been having basically clear broth, Jello, fruit juice popsicles - AND a clear liquid Protein, which I think really helps. But I must say, I'm ready for the next phase. I'm sick of the clear liquids. Thanks for all your helpful posts. Mary

I still occasionally have a whey Protein shake. I use Jay Robb chocolate(tastes so good), with 8 oz. milk 200 calories, 0 carbs, & 32 grams of protein. sometimes I add some plain greek yogurt and fruit(raspberries). even more protein and tastes so good, it is the consistency of a heavy milk shake. I cut the amt. of milk. this is a great Breakfast on the days I am trying to cut fat and/or carbs. I never snack in between meals.

So this is my first journal entree. I think its a good day to make one. My surgery is on Thursday at noon. Today is Tuesday at 11:40 so its about 48 hours away. Everything happened pretty fast for me. I only went for my consultation last Friday and they had a cancellation so in I went. I have been on my horrible pre-op diet for 4 days now. I now hate yogurt. But I eat it cause i'm hungry and I always hated cottage cheese but i eat only about a tablespoon with every meal because I think I probably need the protein. I am actually excited to start the liquid diet because it means I will get a mix of juice and consume soup so I get the sweet and the savory instead of just berry flavored everything. Honestly right now my skim milk is the closest thing I have to something salty or not tasting of berries. I have lost 12 pounds in 5 days so I guess this diet is working. Everyone makes jokes like screw the band stick to yogurt. But I WILL DIE if i do that. My only saving grace is that tomorrow is the last yogurt day.

Any one else like me and getting tired of all the sweet stuff on their preop diet? Muslce Milk, ff/sf pudding, etc? I have a recipe for savory yogurt. My husband is from Pakistan. In the subcontinent, yogurt is eaten sweet or savory. They make lassi and raita from yougurt. Laissi is like a milk shake that can be sweet or savory. If you are going to make it savory, use nonfat plain yogurt, a splash of Water, ice and a bit of salt. Toss it in the blender and blend until smooth. If too thick, add more water. I happen to like mine thick. If you want it sweet, put a bit of sugar or sugar substitute instead. Raita is a side condiment that is used to dip pakoras, or other fried goodies, in or as an accompaniment to curries, tandoori meat, dals, etc. Most have cilantro, mint, or other veggies ground in along with salt, red pepper and cumin. The plain raita is just plain yogurt, a bit of salt, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper and 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of cumin. Mix well and enjoy by itself. My Nut suggested the following for portions for yogurt for the pre-op liquid diet: 12 oz ff plain yogurt or 8 oz of ff plain greek yogurt I hope this helps others who could use a break from sweets.