need2lose2

I'm glad I found this post op group too! I was banded on 9/22 so this is day 6 for me and have been struggling with this liquid diet bad! I actually ordered the unflavored powder and cant wait for it to get here so I can try to put it in Soups and juice. I am so sick of the shakes so its hard for me to get them down. Which is making me hungry since i'm not eating. I have had the shoulder pain and its much better but still there. My insision site is still sore its on my left side in the middle area. But i'm back to work because I was going crazy in the house. I have been up and down with emotions and breakdowns. But not only did I just go thru surgery Me and my boyfriend of 4 years broke up a week before my surgery. Its been a daily struggle for me and I'm just trying to take things one day at a time. Some days are good some are bad. I cant wait to eat more. I was making mac & cheese for my son last night and I took 2 bites and i felt like such a failure! But so far today is a better day.. Also drinking all the Water is hard because i'm not used to sipping i'm used to gulping. All of these changes are going to take time I know but I hope it gets easier soon!! Good luck to everyone and hopefully we can all rely on eachother for advice and support.

....did the 2 bites of mac n cheese go down ok?

Yes, be proud of yourself everyday, every hour - tell yourself - pat yourself on the back. Do that pep talk self talk to encourage yourself. See food as the bad in-law that came to live with you a long time ago and wouldn't leave until you had surgery and said no more. It takes a lot for you to make the decision to have surgery and be proud of that......no looking back - only great days ahead. Create new life memories to reward yourself - like go get a pedicure or manicure or take a dance lesson or have a makeover and reward yourself with things not food related. For me, rewards were always food related like ice cream or cheesecake so I had to find ways to reward myself with it being food related so I could divorce myself from food.

Great advice and encouragement.

I always turned to food for anything....celebrate, angry, bored, sad, stressed, reward, tired, and so on. It's why i knew i had to do this so that i am forced to limit portions and find other ways to make myself busy. It's not easy but there's no choice anymore.

Hey, has anyone asked their docs when they can have caffeine?

Hey there. So sorry to hear about your breakup. That's gotta be tough.

We're all in the same boat with regards to emotions and struggling with lack of foods. I had one of those episodes the other day when i started questioning if i did the right thing. I mean i was totally ready to call the surgeon's office and yell out "take it out, take it out!!" Sometimes i can control my emotions by telling myself that i can do this, but then there are other times when i start panicking!! One word of advice, don't read the other topics where pple talk about stuck episodes, sliming, and stuff. I did that......wish i didn't.

Every day is a struggle when i come down to the kitchen and need to prepare meals for the kids or have to watch everyone eat foods i like while i'm sipping gross Protein Shakes. food was always my life and when i can't have it, i get depressed. However, at the end of every day on this liquid diet, i am so proud of myself that i got through another day knowing how hard it was. It's a good feeling, and the scale shows it too.

Good luck to you!!

mmmm, drinking my Protein Shake and thinking of melted cheese with substantial refried beans..........Oh G-D, i don't think i can make another week of liquids.............

Glad to hear everyone's appts went well. Mine is next monday..........................oh man does refried Beans and cheese sound sooooooooooooo good. My mouth is watering.

I have my 2 week post op appt today and I so can't wait to see if they advance my diet. I am so bored with the liquid diet, lol. I was able to sleep on my stomach last night too and that felt so good! Hope everyone is doing good!

How'd it go? Tell me about it. I'm also sooo bored of the liquid diet and i don't much like my shakes..........

Oh, i can't wait to sleep on my stomach...............

Need2lose - you are on the same 2-2-2 plan I am on. I start on pureed foods on Wed or Thurs this week after my doctor's appt. Tomorrow is 2 weeks.

Monday will be 2 weeks for me, and my first postop appt......need to be on liquids for another week....argh

Sheesh! I think I need to give my nutritionist a call then, I could use a little extra now and again myself.

Yeah, the applesauce definately hits the spot. I only really need like 2 spoonfuls and i'm satisfied.

Are you on all liquids. I am so lucky because my Dr. had me on soft foods 3 days postop and solids 5 days postop. I can drink 2 of the lemonaid and unflavored Protein powder. But my Dr.wants me to get my protein intake through regular food. I drink one a day to help with my daily protein intake. Anyone that says weight loss surgery is the easy way out needs to be smacked upside the head.

Yes. liquids for 2 weeks post op. then mushies for 2 wks and then soft foods for 2 wks. after that, it's on to solids.

I could eat 5 bowls right now!!

Good news. I just heard back from the nutritionist about my hunger concerns. She said it's perfectly normal not to feel full since liquids do not stay in the pouch. She said i can have 4oz of unsweetened applesauce 2x a day for the duration of my liquid phase. Yay!

Yep, sitting here drinking my Protein Shake while watching those commercials! Damn, even baked Beans look good to me now!

I'm on full liquids for another week. Yes, it's defiantely better than Clear Liquids....in comparison.

Oh Gosh, why did i read some of the other topics talking about getting stuck, PB'ing and all that. Now i really feel as if i've made a huge mistake. I'm not sure i can handle this........wish i can go back in time............

Reddirt, i woke up in recovery with shoulder pain. It comes and goes but today it has stayed all day. Laying in bed on my right side helps. Alsp lifting my shoulder above my head helps too. Other than that i have just had to de with it.

J

I didn't have shoulder pain until the morning of day 5 and have had it for the past few days as well. Thought i'd slept wrong but realized it was the gas pain that everyone here keeps talking about. It does subside a bit and then comes back.

SDbandit, thank you for the words of encouragement. It's usually after i feed them dinner when i leave the kitchen and have my regrets on doing the surgery. By then i'm hungry even while having a Soup or something. So, being hungry, not being able to eat anything, and having to stick with the Protein drinks that i don't like, is quite depressing. What can i say? I then go to bed practically panicking about not being able to do this. I never let myself get hungry before this, so these hunger pangs are quite annoying, uncomfortable, and depressing.

Sent an email to the nutritionist to see if there is anything else i can do. Bet you she'll just tell me to add another shake when i get hungry.......yuck.

On a positive note, i am now trying a shake recipe that i actually enjoy. It's got 1 scoop of vanilla Protein powder, 1 cup orange juice, a few spoonfuls of vanilla yogurt, and 4 frozen strawberries. I don't taste that awful vanilla powder at all. The strong tastes in this shake is the juice and the strawberries.

I got banded on the 19th. The only pain I have is around the area of the port. And like yours, my pain comes around when I make a sudden or fast move. I am not hungry, but I know I have to take in liquids. I'm still really light-headed, but with this having been my first medical procedure, I kind of expected that it would take me a while to recover.

I had my first "what-have-I-done" breakdown last night. I was just sitting on the sofa with my hubby and I started crying uncontrollably. It's wasn't at anything in particular. I guess the reality of everything hit me at that moment. I know it won't be my last breakdown and I just have to work through it.

Anyone else have a breakdown this early after surgery?

I got banded on the 19th as well and i've had those 'breakdowns' quite often. I think my problem is that being on this liquid diet is extremely difficult. Not only does it not fill me up, (my stomach keeps growling) but i get depressed when i have to prepare meals for my family and can't eat the foods! I then keep asking myself 'what have i done????' but being on this site has helped me see so many others having done the same thing and surviving.

Try some sweetener and vanilla. My Mom maded it with sugar and vanilla when we were kids. What kind of shake are you drinking. I HATE the ones mixed with milk. My fav is unflavored powder and the crystal light pur lemonaid.

The shakes i'm drinking is Nutra-Bio chocolate and vanilla. Haven tried the unflavored but need to get through those first cuz they are 5lb can!! The morning shake is fine for me because i'm usually not hungry in the mornings. The second and especially the third are what make me sick and gag........i'm sick of them and i'm hungry. I would do away with at least one of them and have something else instead but i'm afraid won't get the 60g Protein a day that i'm supposed to have.

Had my last visit with Doc before surgery and asked for a Rx to fill before surgery (( On Sept 30! 4 more days!! ))

but she told me that they didn't normally give Rx for pain or nausea since it rarely occurs.

That was just weird considering all of the posts on here about pain, nausea and gas.

Got some Gas X strips

liquid Tylenol

witch hazel (for itchiness of stitches)

a pill crusher (for regular meds)

a pill split-er

and Gummy vitamins!

need to get an ice tray to freeze soup/juice portions

and disposable shot glasses so my portions look like 2 oz instead of 1oz!

When i sat down with the nutritionist and program coordinator to get instructions (a week before surgery), i got rx's for pepsid and for lortab (pain). That way i was able to fill and take them when i got home. I didn't get anything for naussea in advance. Got something at the hospital in my IV and that was it.

Bring a pillow for your ride home to put between your stomach and the seat belt. It helps cushion the area especially around bumps and potholes.

good luck to you!

Have you tried adding dry non-fat milk powder to your "Foods"?

Its an extra boost of Protein and it adds some creaminess flavor!

hmm, will have to check that out! tx

I am laughing! I have a covered jar full of (blended) cream of chicken Soup in the fridge that is taped so no one can get to it! I was irritated today that my child grabbed a heaping glass of MY NAS apple juice. I can only have pretty much full liqs now and am becoming possessive of the foods I can have! I have a space in the snack cabinet for all my diet paraphenalia and I threaten people with throwing their stuff out if they put it in my space (which is often). Don't know what everyone else's Protein drinks are, but I really love them right now which is weird. Feeling good 6 days out post banding with plication. Wondering if it is normal to not have any BM's since surgery? Don't even feel the need right now. I do see the doctor soon so I guess I will find out for sure.

Love hearing the tips and tricks out there!

I did the same thing!! My sugar free Jello and pudding pkgs are taped on a shelf saying don't touch. My yogurt has a tape on it as well.

Over the weekend i made a large chicken soup for the family. I took about 1/4 of it and blended it with the veggies......wouldn't you know i caught my 2 daughters eating from the pot that contained MY soup!!! It's funny, i've never been this selfish with my foods and stuff, but man, if i can only have liquids for 2 whole weeks, i'm gonna get possesive over my foods!

I can't get the Protein Shake to go down. I taste a little bit and almost got sick to my stomach. I tried to eat some grits this morning, I only had about 3 small spoonfuls, that was all I can eat. I have had tried some yogurt and pudding , they was okay going down.

Definately with you there. I even tried some of the recipes given on this forum and just couldn't stomach it.

I can also get yogurt, cream of wheat, Soup, and pudding down fine but i'm always afraid i'm not getting enough Protein. My nutritionist said for the first 2 weeks after surgery, i need to have 3 Protein Shakes a day and ONLY if i'm hungry, i can have the other liquids mentioned above. If i can get 2 a day down without gagging it up, i'm lucky, but i'm definately hungry enough for the other foods.

ugh, trying to choke down a Protein shake.......sucks. I HATE this liquid diet and to think i've got another week of it!!

No one who had the band done said anything about this. Made it sound like it was nothing..........hurumph!

I never thought cream of wheat would ever taste as good as it does, lol. My father in law had a good suggestion, to add a little flavored sugar free coffee creamer in with it to add different flavors too. I haven't tried it because I have the maple brown sugar now but I am going to try that next. I thought that sounded so good.

I put some splenda and cinnamon. Even though i need to make it soupy, it still makes me feel like i'm eating something..........somewhat........

Need2lose........regular and fat free are full of sugars and calories. You can Google "How to read food labels" to learn how what you are getting in foods. Even if you are using 2% milk has much more carbs and calories than fat free milk. I used 2% 1 day this week and said never again - it had 28 Carbs and the calories were 100 extra over the fat free milk.

Hi there. My nutritionist said i need to have at least 1% milk with the Protein shake in the morning so that the fat-soluble Vitamins are able to be used by the body. After that, i only use skim milk.