dreark22

Hey all! I'm new to this site but in my first few weeks after surgery, I felt the need to get creative. Here are a few of my creations. The mashed potatoes were really a staple for weeks 2 and 3. High Protein Mashed Potatoes -6-7 yukon gold potatoes (peeled, chopped, and boiled) -1 block of tofu (Nosoya is what I used-it's a larger block) -7-8 boiled egg whites -skim milk (amount varies with how thin you'd like the potatoes) -Smart Balance Light-heart smart kind (optional) -Salt or garlic salt (optional) 1. Mash boiled potatoes (make sure all chunks are mashed out) 2. Cream boiled egg whites and 2 tablespoons skim milk together. Make sure eggs are a creamy consistency and without large chunks. A hand chopper/mixer works well but the food processor and beaters did not. 3. Add chopped tofu to eggs and milk and cream into a mixture. You can add the butter at this point if you'd like. 4. Add mixture to mashed potatoes. You'll want to mix this all up but only use a mixing machine at the very beginning. If you mix too long with it, the mixture can become glue-like. I start with beaters then finish by hand. Add more milk for thinner potatoes and salt to flavor as needed. These are DELICIOUS!!! You can't even tell that there's tofu or eggs in it. Great for getting in your protein. Buffalo Salmon mix -2 tablespoons light cream cheese -1 tablespoon light mayo (I used kraft olive oil mayo) -.5 tablespoon Frank's hot wing Buffalo sauce -1 package salmon (3 oz...the flaked kind...similiar to canned tuna) -crackers (optional) 1. Mix cream cheese, mayo, and hot sauce until smooth and blended 2. Add to salmon and mix together. You can put this on crackers or eat alone. Either way it's delicious! Great for the mushies and soft food stages...or any time you crave it and trust me...you will Hope someone can get some good meals out of these...happy eating!

It's tough...I was extremely exhausted for a while but it got much better when I increased my calorie intake and started working out. Even initially working out, I was too exhausted to do it but the nutritionist told me to increase my calories. Naked juices have a lot of vitamins and they're very tasty. I only drank half of one a day but they're a great boost. Make sure you're getting enough healthy carbs. My nutritionist said I was so tired because I wasn't getting them in addition to not eating enough calories. It will get better...just have to give it some time and test what works for you...GOOD LUCK!

Thinin10...I don't know about your surgeon and nutritionist but mine told me those "golden rules" are really for those people not doing what they should be in the exercise dept. While you shouldn't be eating over a cup a meal because of the size of the pouch, eating 4-5 meals a day is a pretty common occurance for people exercising a lot. I added some extra calories to meals with low fat sour cream, a small amount of naked juice (lots of nutrients!), and allowing myself to use real ingredients rather then just fat free and sugar free. It is important to watch calorie intake if you're eating 4-5 times a day though. I actually eat meals that are like 3/4 cup to 1 cup depending on what it is. Don't forget that fruit has a lot more calories then veggies and healthy carbs before a workout. Sparkpeople is a GREAT site to keep track of your intake. Make sure you're getting what you need so you're feeling good and that you're not trying to increase your calorie intake by eating low quality food. I'm glad this thread has really helped some people...It's helped me to talk about it all!

OOOoOO one more thing...I wouldn't put it off because many hospitals are actually making their nurses do health checks to make sure they can keep up with patient's needs. My sister did one at her first hospital and had to do another recently when she started at a new hospital.

Hey lady...I know exactly what you're going through. I'm getting my doctorate right now and got the surgery a week and a half before school started. As long as you're eating right (not just eating as little as possible because you feel you should), you'll be alright. I have found there is one difference that my nutritionist noted for students (especially if you're working out a lot also) is that we need some extra carbohydrates (the good kind of course). I was getting really foggy, tired, and not losing weight and the nutritionist said it was because I wasn't eating enough calories or carbs. You may have to worry about the lifting stuff a little more if you're already seeing patients but my sister is a nurse and will be having the surgery shortly. She said they're just going to put her on light duty initially. Recovery time is WAY shorter and easier with the band so I def recommend that over gastric but you have to do what works for you. This is a lifetime so you really have to figure out what you can live with forever. GOOD LUCK!

I went through this and was SO disappointed (not to mention exhausted) but I called the nutritionist and she told me that I needed to eat more calories and more carbohydrates. I was working out at least an hour a day so she said my body still thought it needed to hold onto calories. She wasn't joking...I had a couple days of eating higher calorie food (15-1600 calories a day for two days) and then went down to 1000-1200 calories a day and the pounds started melting and haven't stopped yet. I increased my workouts again so I added an extra serving of fruit with a boiled egg white and have been doing great. Hope this helps some. Also, when I initially began eating real food again, my weight loss stalled for about a week while my metabolism adjusted. I'm about 6 and a half weeks out now and have found that the first 4 were my most frustrating because of the ups and downs. Once you're body gets used to it, you'll be fine...actually you'll be great!

It's soooo worth it. You'll feel like crap for a few days...then you'll feel a little better each day following. I could sleep on my stomach again by about a week and a half out and that made life SO much better. I promise things will get better but it's hard to see that right now. Get lots of sleep...it makes the hard parts go by more quickly!

Hey...sorry it's taken me so long to reply. Grad school is keeping me running like a mad woman! Lol It's the whites from hard boiled eggs. I usually used the large or extra large as they have more white. As for the tofu, I used a firm one that I pureed but my friend (who made these potatoes last week and loved them) used the silken and said she didn't have to do any extra work with it. They just mixed right in. She also added in some extra seasonings like basil just as a test and they turned out great. Have fun with them and try lots of combos. If I'm in a cheesy mood, I'll add some of the babybel bonbel cheese to my individual serving. Happy cooking!

Hey...I was getting in 80 grams of Protein a day in the mushies stage without Protein drinks so I hope some of these tips can help you too. pureed boiled egg whites (puree with a little skim milk) can be added to almost anything creamy...I always put it in my cream of wheat in the morning and it was delicious. Also, pureed tofu is helpful. A lot of people fear tofu but it has no taste and will take on the flavor of whatever you add it to. I put a high protein mash potatoe recipe in the recipes section here and it was amazing tasting with tons of protein. Laughing cow light cheese is very creamy and low in fat and calories but can help add some protein into your food. Also, you can put the cans or foil packs of tuna, salmon, or chicken into the food processor and get a very nice consistency that is easy to get down. I hope that helps...good luck!

I ran a fever for a few days (like 3-5 on and off) after surgery even with the meds. I think some people just run a little fever with healing. If you're concerned, call the hospital as I'm sure your doc's office is closed today.

I'm so sorry to hear about your accident but thank you so much for letting us all know about it! I'll def keep that in mind if I ever get hurt

I hope this helps...I had actually just gotten into a really healthy eating pattern when my surgery was approved so I shared your concerns. During the liquid phase, I drank Isopure clear...it's fruit flavored drinks similiar to gatorade but with 40 grams of Protein, no sugar, no carbs and 140 calories. Also, Crystal light makes some very good sugar free popsicles and chicken broth will help keep you regular (well it helped my friend and I during our liquid phases). Something about it just helps you go to the bathroom. That first week is really hard but it does get easier I promise. As for the following weeks, try to add protein wherever you can. For example, pureed egg whites don't add flavor to anything but add plenty of protein to a cream Soup or mash potatoes. They were really great mixed in with my cream of wheat in the morning for added protein. You can also add some pureed fruit to cream of wheat with the eggs and you'll have a healthy meal. Pureed Tofu can also be very helpful. I wasn't a fan of drinking tons of protein so I kept finding new ways to add protein to foods that don't usually have it. I posted a couple recipes in the recipes forum previously if you're interested. Also, when you're in your pureed stage, try to incorporate things with fruits and veggies a lot. I saw a great deal of people who really relied on mash potatoes at that time which can be good if you're following a healthy recipe like I did but I still wanted nutrients from places other then a Vitamin. Also, low fat ricotta cheese is great during your mushies phase because you can simply add stuff to it for a filling, tasty, healthy meal. For example, if I was craving something sweet, I would take a few spoonfuls of low fat ricotta and add some agave syrup to it. Agave is a healthy, natural sweetener and the mixter always reminded me of a pancake or waffle. It's great on cream of wheat also. That should help you in the first few weeks. My biggest tip is BE CREATIVE. There are ways to puree almost anything which can really help you keeping your food choices varied. Good luck with everything and whenever it gets hard...just remember...you've made an great decision and it will get easier!

I feel soooo hungry when I'm exercising. It's almost painful how hungry I get. I try to eat something with a protein and carb before working out and it sustains me for longer but I still get extremely hungry about 45 minutes into my time at the gym. It's been a little better since my nutritionist told me I needed to be eating more calories and more carbs but still happens. What's the numbing you're talking about?

Hey! I'm almost at 5 weeks and am feeling pretty good. I have the same type of thing around my incisions. They're not very itchy but a little red and flaky. The doctor said they looked normal so I'm trying not to worry myself. Milk of Magnesia was my method of choice for not being able to do my duty. I took it for a couple days in weeks one and two but haven't had to since. Not being able to go to the bathroom can actually make you feel naseuous so maybe that's contributing. Try adding some milled flax seed to your yogurt (or anything creamy really). The nutritionist said it was a good fiber choice because it's already broken down. Also, the high fiber wheat thins instead of crackers. They're really tasty and may help keeping you regular. As for the pickle...YES...it totally can help an upset stomach. My little brother actually turned me onto pickle juice when I was younger and I started to notice that whenever I had any nausea, it was the only thing that could make it feel better. Anyone stalled in their weight loss right now? I hit the 21 lb mark then stopped losing and actually gained a few pounds back. I know this is the healing time but I'm just wondering if anyone else is seeing this or has any tips about it.

I've only lost 21 pounds but just having this surgery has given me the motivation to really stick it out in the gym so that's where my NSV's feel like they are right now. My heart rate isn't going as high when I'm doing the elliptical and I'm getting in a full 45 minutes a day cardio plus weight lifting in between classes and a 30 minute session of yoga when I get home at night. Simply knowing that I've taken this big step in my life has helped soooo much. Plus, I seem to have a lot more time on my hands when I'm not constantly eating or planning what I'll eat next...who would have ever thought? Here's to a great future for all of us!

I'm still too early to try out bread yet but I can tell you that the high fiber wheat thins are fantastic!!! They are really tasty and have lots of fiber (hard to get sometimes with the limited fruits and veggies I can have right now). I have tried the garden veggie and 5 grain and they're both delicious!!! I can't have tortillas yet either but there are these high fiber, low carb ones that I get at Krogers...I think they're called smart and delicious. The big ones are 12 grams of fiber each and the smaller ones have 8 grams of fiber. Neither is really high on calories and the smaller ones come in multiple flavors (garlic herb is my fav). You've done amazing! I hope my results are that good a year from now =)

I actually just put a really great recipe for high protein mashed potatoes in the recipes section. I used pureed egg whites, tofu, and skim milk when I was in the mushies stage to add lots of protein to the potatoes. They tasted just like regular mashed potatoes but were sooo much more filling for longer.

I'm also a grad student...I'm not able to eat them yet as I am a new bandster but larabars are really great on the go. Also, there are these really tasty nut mixes (can't remember what they're called) but they're all natural and a little sweet. I got the ones that were a mix of peanuts and almonds. They're in little cube shapes and soooo tasty.