Convenience is worth the extra $ on the pre-made shakes for me too. I prefer the taste of the Adkins shakes over the Costco brand, but the Costco brand has more protein, and you'll need that extra protein after surgery. I also got the powder and at times added an extra scoop to the pre-made ones because I struggled to get enough protein in.
I'm in the same boat! I'm scheduled for my 2nd fill on Monday and waiting on some restriction feeling! For now, I'm just watching my calorie intake and trying to be relax about it.
You have gotten great advice above already. I just wanted to add I was just told this week that calories should be in the range of 800-1200. I too use MyFitnessPal app and it's great!
Is there any chance the esophagus spasms are not band related? I used to get them way before the band surgery and was told it was due to stress. My job changed and they stopped. Stress also affects my hair.
Hope it gets better for you soon.