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I couldn't agree more I'm 4 weeks out and today I had a half of protein shake and half a Greek yogurt and that's it. Everything makes me feel sick. It bums me out I'm depressed and weepy because I have no energy to handle my 4 little ones. I wish I knew it would get better!

Hi my name is Jessie and I was banded on Nov 14 2007. I was allowed to have popsicles, jello, fat free pudding cups, yogurt, chicken broth, as long as it is all fat free.

Well, 1000-1200 is also my target range for calories. I also end up with a bit of constipation from not getting in enough fiber, and I usually deal with that by mixing a little bran Cereal into some yogurt. Right now I'm not really targeting a certain protein/fat/carb ratio. I always choose lowfat or nonfat foods & lean meats, so I let it take care of itself. Same with carbs -- most of my carbs come from fruits, veggies, Beans and dairy. When I do choose to eat a bit of bread or rice, it's whole grain. Prior to banding, I had a doc tell me I should be aiming for 40/30/30- 40% carbs, 30% Protein, 30% fat. That's essentially The Zone diet, I think, and there are proponents of that ratio all over the place. At 1200 cals, though, that puts us at 90g of protein a day, which is a tad high I think. US RDA is more like 50g, at least for my height and target weight. For your height & target weight, it's about 58 g. With those workouts you might find 1200 cals a day is even too low. I'm pretty close in height & weight to you and dropping 2 lbs a week eating between 1000-1200, and I only get in about a half an hour of moderate exercise about 4-5 times a week.

Hi all, I am 6 weeks post op and I am having a really hard time with breakfast. Per my surgeons guidelines, he recommends avoiding bacon, sausage (even chicken), ham etc. but my issue is that I hate eggs! So I am tired of having protein shakes and yogurt for breakfast. I also don’t want to eat chicken or seafood every morning. I’ve had some bacon and I’m wondering if I am “cheating” and messing myself up. I hit a stall at 3 weeks, had my menstrual, and went up! It finally broke last week and I lost what I gained but it just doesn’t feel like I’ve made any progress in weeks! I’ve lost 22 pounds since surgery on 2/24 and with my 2 months coming up I feel like I should have lost at least 30 since my starting weight was over 300 pounds! Here are my questions: 1. For those who’ve had a VSG what was your average weekly and/or monthly weight loss after the first month? 2. Do you eat bacon, sausage, or ham for breakfast? 3. Have you cheated and still lost? Thanks in advance for any advice you can give because I am going crazy!

I have scrambled egg with turkey sausage crumbles; strawberries and blueberries: and one slice whole grain toast for breakfast Usually a Greek yogurt for a snack Grilled chicken or chicken salad with a salad for lunch Either a Protein drink or cheese and nuts for snack A grilled or roasted protein with salad for supper. Usually a SF Popsicle in the evening. I generally get between 750-900 calories a day; between 60-80 protein; between 50-60 carbs and try keeping my fats between 20-30

Yes, congrats on recognizing this and starting to move on. Just know, while you may be done with her, she is not done with you. She will be calling, so remain strong. As far as getting back on track, I would suggest you ensure you have no crap in your kitchen. No alcohol, no sweets and no sweet drinks. Continue with this resolution to get back on track and dump them all. I remember I would tell myself, "Once this tub of ice cream is gone, I just won't buy another." No ... I just needed to dump the ice cream whether it was full or not. Stock your shelves with proper foods. meats, Jerky, yogurts ... you know the drill. At least for awhile, eat exclusively at home. Don't be tempted by fast food or restaurants. This is just to get yourself back on track and disassociate yourself with the poor habits you developed with this woman. Get back to the basics of eating Protein first, then veggies and/or starches. Don't drink right before, during or right after eating. Chew very well setting your utensil down in between bites. Evaluate how you feel after that bite and try to stop eating AS SOON as you BEGIN to feel restriction. There should be some time between the swallow and next bite. Try not to eat to the point of where you are stuffed. That is what we used to do. Bottom line is things only change when we make a change. If we go back to doing things the way we used to, then we will get the same results. Praying 2 + 2 won't equal 4 leads only to resentments.

My first week postop I was getting between 350-450 calories per day on clear liquids. I added smooth liquids on Tuesday which included puréed creamed soups, drinkable yogurt, ect. I have gotten between 600-800 calories a day by adding those. I intentionally chose some of the higher calorie soups because I felt I needed the extra calories. Such as a bean and bacon cream soup and New England clam chowder. I am also adding a tablespoon of unflavored protein powder to my 1 cup serving to that extra little 5 gr of protein.

a tiny portion occasionally, no more than a few bites, no more than 1 or 2 times a month, won't kill you, but be prepared for cravings. Maybe you could recreate some of your favorite sweets. I make cannoli cream, flourless protein pancakes, pizza, protein cookies & muffins. Dannon Light & Fit Greek yogurt is amazing and comes in great flavors. Quest bars have many great flavors, and you can also cook with them. The chocolate chip one, bakes up into yummy cookies. Just cut one up, bake a t 350, watch closely as it only take a few minutes.

I had this problem too and during the clear liquid stage, the doctor had me taking liquid immodium. 5 days later, once I was on the 3 shakes a day, he has me having one activia light vanilla yogurt (70 calories) a day to regulate my stomach flora and I am fine now.

My doc does allow sf jello, sf pudding, Dannon fit & light Greek yogurt, ice pops...I just wish I could at least have a small salad included too.

The short answer to your question is you can run a Protein deficit for six weeks or so without major heath consequences. They body adapts but usually with lots of hair falling out ;-(. But that's not where you want to be. So keep trying shake mixes, or get some genpro and mix it in with yogurt and your puree. Tasteless and it dissolves well.

I had 0.5cc put in Wednesday and it was just too much. It takes me an hour to choke down yogurt. I assume the doctor knows best about how much to take out, but as I'm private pay for my visits, I don't want her to take out too much. I have to say though, I'd much rather have all 0.5 out and go back to where I was than be stuck feeling like this!! I can't imagine why people would go around feeling like this on purpose. Anyway, not that I can eat much anyway, but I assume I have to be Clear liquids the day of an unfill too?

I'm only a week post op but I'm going crazy. I haven't eaten regular foods in like 3 weeks, I'm so bored. I'm on the liquids now so I can have soup, yogurt, pudding, applesauce, cottage cheese. I was lactose intolerant before surgery so all this dairy isn't going over well. Any suggestions?

I am 17 days post surgery - sleeve...I was shocked at how hard it was to even drink Water for the first few days. I found that warm decaf tea with a little honey worked well. Don't be discouraged by how long it takes to drink a Protein shake at first...for me a couple of hours wasn't unusual. At this point, I am doing some pureed foods and very small amounts of soft foods...fish, steamed or sauteed veggies, cottage cheese is and has been a staple for me, ricotto cheese and greek yogurt. One recipe that I really liked for pureed foods was fat free refried Beans, cooked chicken, taco sauce and reduced fat cheese - mix in blender and put in fridge. Then I'd heat up 2 Tbs as a serving. Yummy! Good luck Kim

Hi all, here is my Journey so far. I was one of the lucky ones (NOT) who had a JP Drain. I hope my story helps others. So far, so good - no regrets at all!! June 2017: My ins just dropped the numerous lengthy requirements and is allowing sleeves. I jumped on it, and was able to navigate thru the list quickly. Start to finish took me about 2 months. Do Ins companies really think we haven't tried every program out there prior to considering major surgery??? Stupid! They no longer require 6 months of Dr administered weight loss program, but my Dr watched me for a few months, and submitted it just to make sure I would not run into any problems. I was approved 10 days after submission. I hate having to jump thru hoops, but the savings was worth it. Altho, I would have paid out of pocket if denied. Check off the requirements, and you should be fine. Most Drs have a good relationship with the ins claim reps. My daily (boring but working) pre op intake is: coffee with a splash of Premier Protein banana or caramel , then the rest of the Premier Protein Shake for Breakfast, at 10am I have 2 C of chicken broth, at Noon I have 2 C chicken broth + another Premier Protein shake, at 2pm I have 1 sf Jello cup, at 6ish I have 2 C chicken broth (appetizer ) and another Carmel Premier Protein shake, 8pm snack another sf jello cup. I don't really like any other flavors of broth or I would have those. My shakes have to be under 200 calories, high protein (these are 30g) and as low sugar as you can find (1g). Premier is handy, pre made, and I like the flavors (Caramel, Banana, and strawberry Cream are my favorites). I SWEAR I have not had any headaches, and my energy level is really good (just fall asleep earlier which helps me not dwell on food). Aug 25/2017: Surgery day and I couldn't be more excited!! My surgery went well except that I needed a JP drain that will remain in for about a week. I was up walking 2 laps of my floor that night. The nurse said she had never seen anyone do as well as me. She said my positive and excited attitude surely helped! My pain never got above 2 or 3 and I needed very little pain meds. 3 ice chips made me nauseous, so I did not eat or drink anything the first night. I do have to give myself shots in the stomach of Lovenox (blood thinner) to prevent blood clots for 2 weeks. Aug 26: Got discharged this afternoon after my upper GI and chest xray came back ok. Was able to keep down 4oz of liquid before I left the hospital. I'm off the pain meds now, and don't even feel the need for Tylenol. The Lovenox shots are not as scary as I thought they would be. The trick is to freeze the area for 10 minutes before you give yourself the shot, and put the ice back on right after you are done (the after affect feels like a wasp sting). Now I just need the gas to pass (pun intended). All said and done, I feel great for what I've been through, and lost 12 pounds pre op. I will keep up with updates. Thank you for all the support and info. This Forum is great, and I hope to pay it forward. Aug 28: Ok, so to continue my journey, I am 4 days post op and my drain is still working over time Im not concerned, but can't go back to work until its removed. After having little to no pain, this morning I noticed pain on my right side - like a stabbing pain. I have to hold my stomach when I walk for any relief. Seeing as most of my stomach was sliced off, I am assuming that now that the swelling is going down, some of this is "normal". Its definitely NOT gas pains. I don't like taking the liquid pain meds so am taking tylenol only. liquids are going down no problem. Energy level is up, and I'm looking forward to Protein Shakes on Friday. Update: Dr said my drain most likely moved which is causing the pain. Its pretty intense. Good thing is they will be removing it on Thursday. Bad thing is I will be living with the pain and have to take the liquid pain meds until then...a small price to pay I've discovered a love for tropical flavored sugar free popsicles !!! Aug 29: Having a good night and a great hair day so I'm psyched! Lol. My incisions are dissolvable stitches with a rubber cement waterproof type paint over them. The stuff just flakes off when healed. Easy peasy. I SERIOUSLY think I could have returned to work tomorrow if not for the JP drain. All bodily functions working perfectly, and no hunger pains. BUT I know that even tho I feel good, my body is still recovering from major surgery, so I am working from home Thurs and Fri and returning full time the day after Labor Day = 10 days post op. Knowing that there is still swelling and fluid retention from my hospital stay, Im staying off the scale until my post op appointment. I have ankles again!! August 31: Got my JP drain out today (yes, it hurt), but as soon as it was removed, the pain went away!! I feel like a million bucks Sept 1: Diet additions today!! I get to have protein shakes again, yogurt, milk, and cream soups. Still not feeling hungry and am down 18lbs. Had half a protein shake for breakfast, yogurt with sugar free cheesecake pudding mix stirred in for lunch, broth and a half glass of milk for dinner and sugar free jello with sugar free whipped topping for dessert. I heard that some are lactose intolerant after surgery, but I had no issues with anything I ate. I'm paranoid of gaining anything back, so am kind of afraid to eat. I will have to watch that. Having cabin fever so decided to venture out for the first time since surgery. I have a tendency to feel good and over do it, so wanted to be careful. Took a quick trip to the store, and then for a well deserved pedicure. Heaven. Energy level is still up. Since my boyfriend took good care of me, I decided a date night was in order and we went out. Challenging to say the least. How do you go into a bar without ordering a drink?? Pre planning helps. THIS IS A NO JUDGEMENT ZONE!!! I ordered a tall glass of water with lots of e and 1 small shot of vodka. Then I added Crystal Light cranberry to it that I brought along. Nursed it for 2 hours and did not even finish it. I have read others say alcohol hit them quicker after surgery (no noticeable change for me) and I KNOW that its not allowed (this soon or in some minds at all), but I am human. I gave up diet coke for Gods sake Next challenge coming up = lunch with friends in the liquid stage. I am mentally preparing already. Eat before, and take my Crystal Light. Since I am keeping my surgery secret, the only viable option is to say Im having a little tummy issue. Stay tuned. Sept 2: More milestones accomplished today! Ride my motorcycle - check, go boating - check Sept 3: Lunch with my man and his mom.....First I had to reassure my fiance that he could eat in front of me, and I would be ok. He was considerate enough to make sure that it was ok to plan lunch with his mom. Sweet man. I had a protein shake for breakfast and some vitamin water. We chose a restaurant where I knew they had soup on the menu. I told my future mother in law that I had been having stomach issues, and was changing my eating habits. I am not telling people I'm on a diet, or that I had surgery because history has shown that when you do say these things, people watch what you eat, or fill your ears with "helpful" tips etc. I'm not having it. So I ordered water and a cup of soup. Ate the broth and inconspicuously covered my cup with my napkin and handed it to the server first chance I could. Mission accomplished! You can go out to eat when in the liquid stage. Sept 4: Family bbq planned today.......Again, I will eat before we go. My fiance and I came up with a plan. We will both take plates and put food on them, he will then eat his plate of food, and then mine. Oh the games we play....Again, sweet man! I really don't care what anyone thinks, or surmises, this is my Journey and I will do it my way. 2 more weeks til I can eat real food The bbq was great. Truly a testament to the fact that it isn't the food, it's the company. I drank a shake for breakfast and then had some Greek yogurt before we left. Packed some So Be Life Water (my new staple). My brother in law tried to tempt me with Sangaria and grilled pineapple and I simply told him that I was trying very hard to eliminate sugar from my life plan and I was feeling GREAT so I must be doing something right. My fiance and I carried thru with our plan, and as we went thru the food line, he put on my plate half of what he wanted and then ate everything on both plates. Nobody said a word!! Not even my brother in law who notices, and comments on everything. That night we hit one of the last post op milestones Sex 10 days post op is just as fantastic as pre op. Yay! Sorry for the TMI, but this is a question that others are wondering about. Sept 6: Planning our road trip evac for hurricane Irma. I am packing protein shakes, cream soup packets, SoBe Water, crystal light packets, cottage cheese, yogurt and sugar free pudding mix for my yogurt. Wish us luck! Sept 12: The past week has been hell thanks to Hurricane Irma. Prepping 2 houses and 4 days of travel thru 3 states.....Boy, if I ever needed comfort food, or wanted to garbage up, it was now. But I stayed true to my plan by packing a cooler, and was never hungry! Sept 14: I am now in the puree stage and happy to be "chewing" kind of. I still love my sugar free popsicles. I have been switching it up with egg salad, tuna salad and lots of soups. I am surprised that I do not have any hunger pangs. So far I have not had any issues keeping food down. Watching my fiance eat the foods I used to eat does not bother me because I am so looking forward being thinner and healthier. So far I am down 24 pounds in 1 month (that includes my pre op diet week). Yay!

I just wrote a huge log and found out that I was not logged in. So, I am going to do the short version now.http://www.LapBandTalk.com/images/smilies/faint.gif I had my lap band surgery on March 15th, 2007. It is now three days later and all is well. My incisions are painful when I move. The port incision is red and sore. I am going to call Barix in a few minutes to make sure that it okay. I gained nine pounds in the hospital and have lost seven of them so far. Today I have eaten half of a banana-milk-yogurt-sugar-free chocolate sauce shake, half of a chicken broth and a few sips of water. In a few minutes, I plan to finish the broth, drink more water and have a sugar-free fudge pop.

Ok so here's my problem ... I was banded on July 25, was only expected to stay overnight, but because of breathing complications I am still in the hospital...they have had me on diet jello and clear juice the past 5 days, but the protein gel they give me to add is really bad! Do I haven't been using it and feel like I'm not gettin my nutrition I need ! I have asked to see the nutrionist, but haven't yet..... When can I at least have some pudding or yogurt? I had a barium swallow yesterday, and everything with my band is great.

I was worried about constipation, eating essentially no Fiber, but was surprised this morning (day 3) to have an acute onset of diarrhea (sorry TMI). I haven't seen that mentioned anywhere else in the boards - any other experiences like this? My liquid diet consists of 4 Protein shakes/day, plus 6 small servings of either unsweet applesauce, V-8, cream of wheat, low cal yogurt or sugar-free pudding. It's supposed to be about 1000 cal/day but I've only been getting about 800. I have 2 Soups purchased from my surgeon's office to use in place of Protein shake and had one each day so far. Only 28 more days to go.....

I'm not sure, but I was very lactose intolerant post op and still have a problem if I have too much milk, ice cream, etc. I was able to eat greek yogurt very early out and at first the only whey Protein that didn't make me sick was unjury. My theory -and it's just my thought really - is that the smaller stomach size and less food in to mix around really highlights any intolerances that might have been there pre-op. Lynda

I'm doing okay with things like Protein shakes (about 6-8 oz but it can take me 30-45 minutes to get it down), yogurt (4 oz in about 30 minutes), applesauce (4 oz in about 30 minutes). Warm non-calorie liquids I seem to be able to get down easier than cool (I don't drink anything cold). So like you, I need to improve in that area. On reality I feel like I could transition to puréed foods right now but unfortunately am on the above diet for another two weeks :-(

Pre-op diet consisted of sf jello and pudding, broths, yogurt, protein shakes and anything else liquid. Hospital stay 24 hrs after sugery and was allowed ice chips, and sf Popsicles. Once home I was allowed anything on my pre-op diet plus oatmeal and cream of wheat for 2 weeks. Then mushies for 2 weeks then solids. Yep, 1 month of modified diet before solids... Every doc is different. My doc deals only with lapband patients. I would email your doc to ask specifics for your lapband procedure since they have the info all lumped together.... Good luck

@@ppressey24 @@Suaniya i have tried premier protein! the problem is though my doctor only wants me to have 2 "milk" servings a day and that is skim milk no other milk by the way and besides having 4 Protein shakes a day which i need i am allowed 2 light yogurts and i know Premier Protein says made with milk so thats why i bought my own to be able to mix with Water it says after mixing 2 of your protein shakes with milk you are not allowed any more milk for the rest of the day so i do need to clarify on that but that is why like i said before i went and bought ones that you personally mix so i can mix with water... this is my exact diet plan am-protien drink and 1 cup of skim milk or light yogurt mid morning- Fiber supplement noon- Protein Drink, fiber supplement afternoon-1 cup raw vegtables dinner-protein drink and fiber supplement evening-protein drink and 1 cup of skim milk or light yogurt and i need to get 100 ounces a day in which include the diet plan and then am allowed water, crystal lights, decaf coffee and tea, broth, sugar free Jello and popsicles so thats why I'm not doing premier protein shakes, this is for my pre op to shrink my liver and i know every doctor has their own kinda way but i deff wanna follow what my doctor says so if he says only 2 servings of milk thats what i gotta do! I'm not worried about protein after i know i can use premier protein and any protein probably by then but this is for the pre op so even the protein i can use is strick

You don't have to eat meat to get your protein. I eat very little of it. Try alternatives....eggs, almonds, cheese, yogurt, refried Beans, protein powder....there are many things to choose from.

Hey everyone, I just wanted to take a moment to share my experience and vent a bit about the difficulties I've been facing after my gastric bypass surgery. It's been tough, and I could really use some support and understanding right now. Firstly, one of the biggest challenges I've encountered is the loss of taste. It's incredibly disheartening to try different food and drink options, only to find that nothing tastes good anymore. I've experimented with various yogurts, protein powders, shakes, and even crystal light flavors, but unfortunately, the enjoyment I used to get from eating has vanished. Even something as simple as finishing a bottle of water has become a struggle for me. To add to this frustrating situation, I've been dealing with a persistent metallic taste in my mouth. This unpleasant sensation affects how everything tastes, making it even more difficult to find pleasure in eating or drinking. Despite my efforts to maintain good oral hygiene by brushing my teeth four times a day, the taste persists, and it's incredibly discouraging. On top of these physical challenges, my energy levels have plummeted, leaving me feeling depleted and drained. It's hard to stay positive and motivated when you're constantly battling fatigue. Unfortunately, this has taken a toll on my mental health as well, and I find myself struggling with depression. It's a heavy emotional burden to carry, and I often find myself crying myself to sleep at night. I apologize if this post sounds like a downer, but I really needed to vent and share my experience with people who might understand. If any of you have gone through a similar situation, I would greatly appreciate any advice or encouragement you can offer. And to those who are willing, please keep me in your prayers. The support means the world to me during this challenging time. Thank you for taking the time to read my post and for being there for me when I needed to let it all out. Together, we can get through the tough times and find strength in each other.

Hi! I am new to the forum, and wanted to share. I started puree this week and tried the Beans with lowfat cheese, noodle Soup, smashed potatoes, carrots, and my stomach is not taking it. I had experience the dumping syndrom. (vomit) is it the same thing? I am going back to shakes for now, and am trying light yoplait yogurt and it seems to come down easily. I was thinking of trying other foods, but i am thinking I am hurting my self by vomitting. How much longer should i wait to try some food again. Thank you, Angie1409