kittyforet

Hey everyone!!! My kids ate some frozen fried mozzarella cheese sticks the other day and it got me to thinking..... are these ok if I make them homemade and bake them instead of frying them? I have a recipe that I've been wanting to try. I go to solids in the next 2 weeks, so it's not something I want to make right now, just something to keep in mind. I could probably add unflavored Protein powder to the marinara sauce to make these a little more band-friendly, right? I'm still working on understanding go foods vs no foods (including eat once in a while foods) so accepting advice. Thanks! kristi

Thanks for posting. This was just what I needed to hear today!

Are you required to buy THEIR shakes or can you purchase them elsewhere? My doctor's office sells shakes, but they told me I could buy theirs or gave me suggestions of ones they approve. I know Unjury is about $20 and that makes 17-20 shakes of 20 grams protein each...$85 per week is pretty high cost, I think! See if you can buy Unjury or another brand instead of whatever they are selling!

Thanks for sharing!! How's your recovery so far? kristi

Redhead Girl, You probably don't have any Fluid in your band yet and won't have any restriction or get that "full" feeling.... I was banded June 20 and my doc leaves the band empty until my first post-op visit, which is July 18. Between now and then, I am in Bandster Hell.....where it will seem like I can eat anything and everything without problems and won't feel full....sounds like you are in the same place I am right now. My doc's instructions were to make sure to weigh everything and only take a meal that is a total of 4 oz. right now....begin to take tiny bits and chew chew chew!!! I got up yesterday and drank 2 cups of Water and then about an hour later had scrambled eggs for Breakfast and ate it on a small plate and made myself wait 1 minute between bites and chew like crazy, and by the end of the eggs, I wasn't hungry for more!! Then after an hour, I drank another 1-2 cups water. Now, I WANTED to eat Snacks and crap in between, but didn't!! My mind was playing tricks on me....I wasn't hungry but my brain told me I needed to eat. I had to force myself to drink water each time I THOUGHT I was hungry. Are you drinking enough fluids? Try to drink as much water as possible to help fight off hunger. I also drink decaf iced tea sweetened with sugar substitute, or crystal light if I'm craving something sweet.... Once you have proper restriction, you will be able to eat a lot less, but until then, you will seem like the bottomless pit!! I know I feel that way!! Do you still have your post-op diet paperwork? I still have mine both from the doctor and nutritionist and am trying to follow that as closely as possible to help my stomach heal. If you'd like to see what's on my plan I'd be happy to email you a copy to help you get on track. (message me here or send me an email, kittyforet@yahoo.com) That being said, I am NOT perfect!! I've made mistakes and probably do stuff wrong, but I am a work in progress and learning all of this takes baby steps!! I too get caught up in that "but why can everyone else stop eating at a few bites?" mentality but I have to remember that they have SOME fill already while I have none....and I don't want to harm my recovery at the expense of following everyone else, even though it IS tempting!! Plus I paid cash for this little sucker in my stomach and I don't really want to see that go to waste!!! I too have slipped and eat more than I should AND things I know are no-no's, just to try it, just to be defiant and prove I'm in charge, but it didn't help me one bit!! Once you get your Protein, if you buy the powder, you can always start adding that to your food/drinks and get it in that way....I bought unflavored and start adding about 1/4-1/2 scoop into my food (oatmeal, applesauce, soup) or into my drinks (wal-mart brand of strawberry banana light fruit and vegetable drink tastes pretty good, and you can't taste the Protein Powder in it!). If you like Carnation Instant Breakfast, you can drink that and add powdered skim milk to it to boost the protein content without buying protein powder; you can also add protein powder to CIB if you wanted. What I do to make sure I get enough is to set aside 1 scoop per day and make sure I either make it into a Protein Drink or add a little protein to everything that enters my mouth so that by the end of the day, the scoop is all gone. That ensures that I get at least 20 grams with that one scoop. Sometimes trying to get all your protein in is kinda hard, but start small and it will get easier! So, starting today, join me in trying to eat the right things, in the right amounts, knowing one day we WILL be eating smaller portions!!! WE CAN DO IT!!! kristi

Hey Shakey88!!! Welcome to bandland!!! I'm doing ok so far, but I have no fluid in my band so I'm in Bandster Hell!!! UGH!!! Lost 14 pounds on the pre-op diet but only 6 in the last 2 weeks.... Started on mushies and it is so nice to eat scrambled eggs!!! Much better than liquids!!! How are you?? How was your sugery??? kristi

Sounds delish!!! Can't wait until I'm cleared for solids so I can try these!! Thanks for posting!

Jennypenny, I was told to do SF also....guess there isn't a big concern SF vs FF amongst the doctors.... I was also told to try to add Protein powder to my SF pudding and Jello, then add to applesauce, etc. once I get on mushies.... Good luck!! kristi

Ahab, I am almost 2 weeks post op and while I am still on full liquids, that is getting old fast!!! I'm not a big Soup fan so it has been hard for me to find liquids I like....and the soups I do like are thicker so I've been blending them until they are watery.... I just finished a bowl of watered-down oatmeal, NOT blenderized!!! It was very good to actually put something in my mouth that didn't slide right down my throat! A welcome change to have texture!! So far after an hour, no problems. I probably ate it faster than I should have, but it was pretty hot so I did have that against me. Your meatball mixture sounds heavenly!!! Over the weekend I plan on taking another poster's suggestion and blending up some ground beef, black Beans, and salsa, although I will have to blend that somewhat to get rid of the chunky part of the salsa.... My doctors' notes said to progress to mushies after 2 weeks, but my nutritionist said as tolerated after 8-10 days of liquids. I plan on gradually adding in my mushies and not going full-on mushies...adding 1 new thing in per day and keeping the other "meals" as my liquids until I am sure how my body wants to handle the "new" foods. So far, in the restroom category, everything is working, maybe not as frequent as before, but I am still able to go #1 and #2 without issue. I'm curious, what is burrata cheese? kristi

Hey thanks for letting me know!!! I forgot about looking at their website!! I go for follow-up on July 18..... I'm surprised that they didn't mention to me any sort of follow-up care or support group or send me home with any paperwork on it!! All I got was what to eat!! I'm nervous too!!! You'll have to let me know how your fill goes!!!

I use myfitnesspal...it's a free app for iphone and it's also online....if I'm not at home and need to track what I'm eating, I can do it on the phone and then see it all online when I'm at a computer. It tracks everything for you and you can print out reports of your eating, exercising, etc. Pretty easy to use too. Right now focus on getting your protein first....calories and portion sizes become paramount once you start eating real food. (At least that's what my nutritionist said, focus on protein now and soon enough it will be about how much and what you eat.) Good luck!!

What's the time frame between the last bite and when you slime or pb? Is it an instant thing or does it take a few minutes?? Just curious as to how long it takes if it's going to happen. Thanks!

Socks

You can friend me but I'm in the same stage you are....not sure if I will be of any help, but we can fight the liquid beast together!!! Maybe even get ideas from what we each eat, etc.??? kittyforet (kristi in the real world )

Good luck today!!!!

Can't wait to try this!!! Only on full liquids now but start mushies next week!!! I've already bought all the ingredients!!!

I hear ya, Cpt!!!! I am so tired of the sweet-flavored crap and want something with more substance!!! I even have the unjury chicken broth, but that can only go so far!!! Today I took a can of bean with bacon soup and blended it...was much better than the chicken broth, but still felt like I needed a side of steak pudding with it!!! LOL I am seriously craving bacon!!! I <3 bacon!!! I can only imagine how many little sugar bugs are feasting on my teeth with this post-op liquid diet!!! I find myself brushing more to get the taste out of my mouth!! So you are not alone in wanting a tequila chaser!!! Carry on.

If you like Beans and Soup is ok with you, there is a bean with bacon soup that I just had on the full liquids stage....I ran it through the blender since I can't have it like it comes out of the can, but it seems to be a pretty thick soup. I had to add Water to it to thin it, per can directions, but if you wanted something a little thicker, try it and don't add the full can of water.... also, I liked beanie weanies growing up, you might try that, it's just little beans in a can with a few small slices of hot dogs....not sure if you can eat the hot dogs or not.

Almost a week later, here is my surgery day story!!! Sorry for the long post! Each day gets better as far as pain and what I can do. I've been walking daily, got a pedometer and trying to make sure I increase each day. I don't walk to increase my heart rate or do real exercise, just to get moving. . Not ready for real exercise!! Surgery day, June 20, 2011.... Had to be there at 7:00, was first in line. By 8:00 I was in the gown, had the iv, and met the anesthesiologist. At 8:10 Dr. Reilly came in and then it was about time to go. At 8:30 they were wheeling me into the OR and that's all I remember!! I was wheeled into the OR, looked up for a second, and didn't get the chance to say or do anything else!! They blindsided me!!! Woke up at 10:30 in recovery to the leg things squeezing my legs. Throat was sore due to being intubated but pain wasn't too bad. After a little bit they helped me dress and go to the restroom. Was nauseous but the nurse held a peppermint-smelling stick under my nose and that took care of it. I had to sit in a recliner in recovery for a bit, took some liquid pain medicine (NASTY!!) and then went home. We were home before 12:30. Then I rested on the recliner and walked every hour, first along the downstairs of my house, working my way up to puttering outside. Walking really helped. sleeping was pretty much non-existent, but I wonder if that was due to post op nerves. I was like that after my last c-section, didn't sleep for about 24 hours after, too wired, too much adrenaline. Now I sleep a little at a time and rest when I can. Only had the main gas pain that first day, and after that just abdomen pain...it took a few nights of sleeping on the recliner couch or the rocker with the ottoman before I could actually sleep in my own bed, but getting up and down was the worst...once I was walking for a few minutes I could handle it. Since I could not stand the liquid pain meds (did I mention it was NASTY, even with cherry flavoring added???) I took childrens' dissolvable tylenol and then liquid childrens tylenol once and those were blah too, so after trying both of those, I stopped taking pain medicine and was ok without it....each day gets better and the pain goes away....now just mild itchiness at my steri-strips. Thursday I was able to drive so I treated myself to a pedicure. Friday was somewhat normal and yesterday my 8-year-old had 2 flag football games that I went to...my dad nicknamed me Ginger, since he said I was walking gingerly...I tend to walk these last few days with my shoulders hunched up so I am trying NOT to keep doing that. Started full liquids today after almost a week of Clear Liquids, and it is so much better to have a little more variety!! I am so sick of drinking fruity-type drinks!! But I bet it will be just a few more days and I will be sick of drinking my Protein shakes again!! Bring on the mushies!! LOL The hardest part is making sure I drink enough liquids right now. My NUT said to drink 1oz. Fluid every 15 minutes, and that makes my soup get cold!! So i eat a few spoonfuls, then wait a few minutes and eat a few more...Am I supposed to be taking my time already when I eat and following the no drinking during a meal now, even though I'm not on solids?? I go back for post-op on July 18 and fill status will be decided then. My stats so far... Consultation weight, 223.4 Pre-op meeting weight 217 Surgery day weight, 209 (was worried I hadnt lost any!!) Today's weight, 202.8!!!!!! Wearing the pedometer to log my walking and keeping a food diary is helping...at first I wasn't going to do the diary, seemed like a huge pain, but my NUT needs that once I see her on the 18th, so I've been faithful at that. I understand that once I start "real food" again that it will help me get not only the correct nutrients, but also allow me to monitor my intake to control weight. thanks for reading!!!

I totally feel your pain!!! I've walked around my kitchen looking for something that I'm not physically ready to have but wanted so badly!! I have to stop myself, for I know that once I start I probably wouldn't be able to stop!! But then I have to remind myself I didn't pay all that money and go through all this pain just to throw it away.....if I am patient I will be be able to eat small portions of what I want soon enough. I'm glad that you learned something but also that you shared it with us so we can learn from it to. Hang in there!

I <3 my pampered chef deep covered baker!!! Can't wait to start food again so I can enjoy food from it!!!

I agree with the above posts....I've read the book and enjoyed it. Ordered it from Amazon and I also receive her weekly emails. You won't regret the purchase.

I was banded June 20 and it's normal.....wait a few days and you will start having liquid out....not fun!!! I still feel bloated and pregnant but not having any gas pains, thankfully. You will probably be bloated for a few weeks. Once you start having "real" food, other than the liquids, your bathroom habits will become more normal. Hang in there!!!

Hey everyone! Happy Friday!! I was banded Monday, June 20 and today I am actually feeling pretty good!! Haven't taken pain meds in a few days (mainly because it tastes HORRIBLE!). I've been walking daily, wearing a pedometer to track my steps and still on the liquid diet...ready to lick everything in the kitchen though!!! But I haven't! Anyway, I have hardly slept this week at all!!! Is that normal? When I go to sleep at night I doze for about an hour, two at the most, then am wide awake for 1-2 hours, then doze off for another hour max....keep repeating that cycle all night long. Yesterday I ran some errands and tried to nap when I got home but only slept for 30 minutes. Does this happen to anyone else? I know I need the rest but can't stay asleep, and it's not due to pain anymore. It is getting easier to get in and out of bed, and standing up is not terribly rough either, so I know I am healing!! SCALE VICTORY!!!!! I bought a scale!! But that's not the victory!!!! Consultation weight, 223.4 Pre-op visit weight, 217 Surgery date weight, 209 TODAY::::: 203.7 !!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!! Closing in on ONEDERLAND!!! Hoping I don't gain too much once I get on full liquids or mushies!!! Have a great weekend everyone!!! kristi

I was regular before, even while on nuva-ring for birth control....kept the ring in for surgery and just now started....great.... but at least LBT members posted about it and I was aware that having surgery might bring back the flow!!!!