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It's interesting how this surgery affects people so differently. Yes, a hot dog probably wasn't the best choice, but honestly, you could have had this reaction to anything you ate. I was on clear liquids ONLY for the first week, and when I had my first protein shake WOAH - it gave me serious gas, weird indigestion gurgling sounds and mild pain in my stomach. And that was something that was liquid! I'd say part of what you're going through is just your stomach saying "WHAT IS THIS!??!?" because it's been on the liquids for so long and is getting used to digesting what it's had so far. Then you over eat this dense food and your tummy is just letting you know it's not ready for all that! What helped me were gas-x strips - really helps with the gas, and fast! Also, walking around helps too. Drinking too much water on top if the full tummy sounds good in theory, but it doesn't always work like that. With how small your stomach is, the water could really 'over fill' your tummy and make it more painful. Try to get moving if you can! I hope it works itself out soon. I'm 17 days post op and I'm eating lots of stuff. I don't know if I have one of those sleeves of steel, but I haven't been sick once. No nausea, vomiting or pains - aside from the protein shakes, which still give me some gas, but not pain like the first time - and I'm having deli meats, low carb flat bread, yogurt, cheeses, cottage cheese... lots of stuff. I plan to try some fish this week, and canned chicken, then in a few weeks I'll try some veggies (coincidentally, my local farmers market will be open then, yay!) I certainly didn't have this surgery to be on a diet for the rest of my life. I like hot dogs every once in a while and plan to have them when I'm ready for it... so I'm not shaming you there. But considering we only get so little in us in the beginning, I'm trying to make it as good as possible. Deli meat isn't something I would normally have that often because of the salt and nitrates, but because it's something that I can tolerate now, I'm having it. While I am able to eat all these things, I can't eat much of it, and that's the key for me. So what if I had deli meat, it was ONE SLICE! I never thought I'd be completely full on just 1 banana for breakfast. The shakes are saving me with protein intake, because I really don't eat much. But when I DO eat, I can handle everything I've tried so far... I guess that's just lucky on my part. I definitely hope this passes for you soon!

Obviously how one feels after surgery is different for everybody. I was lucky, not too much pain just some discomfort, I was walking around the same afternoon. The gas pains are annoying but they go away fairly soon. I had a specific plan to follow for the re-introduction of foods. One thing will remain the same, try to get in at least 64 oz of liquids every day and 60-80 grams of Protein. Most people start with a couple of days of Clear Liquids, Isopure for protein (you can buy it at Vitamin Shoppe or GNC) decaf coffee and decaf tea, all sugar free non-carbonated drinks, chicken, beef or vegetable broth, SF Jello and SF popsicles.....after that full liquids including regular Protein shakes, creamy soups, thinned out hot Cereal, thinned out yogurt, SF puddings, jello. After 2 weeks, move to pureed or mushy foods, hot cereals, softly scrambled eggs, soups, softly cooked meats and veggies (think crockpot meals) yogurt, cottage cheese with fruit, refried Beans with melted cheese, chili beans, mashed potatoes with canned chicken and gravy, tuna and any soft fish, stuff like that. At this stage of the diet, I was still drinking 2 protein shakes to meet my daily goals and lots of decaf hot and iced tea. At 4-6 weeks start introducing more solids, start slowly and see how you tolerate foods, move toward being able to get in at least 4 oz of a solid protein, then a non-starch veggie...try and stay away from carbs for the most part, if you do eat carbs have whole grains if possible. At 6 months out I can eat most things but not very much of them. I do still drink a Protein shake each day, and sometimes a Protein Bar as a snack. I was not hungry after surgery and it took a while to normalize and feel hunger come back, but not with a vengeance, and you get full so fast. I have 2 hiccups when I am full and that has happened since I had this surgery. A lot of people get these little burps/hiccups that signal fullness, or a runny nose, it's weird, but a good signal from the body. I feel normal, just that I can only eat very small meals, but you have to eat right to keep losing weight and exercising. That has to continue ...so be prepared, the sleeve is a tool, but you still have to make the right choices. I am so happy with my sleeve...down to a size 14 from a 3X-4X and I can walk for miles, and none of my old clothes fit, they are tent size on me....this is the best decision I ever made for myself. Good luck !!!!

K I'm 3 weeks out Tuesday. The first week n half were hell. Went to the dr and he cleared me to do the purée diet or eat what I can tolerate. Well I have days where I'm sick n can't or don't wanna eat ne thing. Then I have my days where I'm hungry and I eat like a yogurt for breakfast lunch tuna or chicken salad and tonight I made a minni veggie pizza and ate the hole thing w no problem. I can tolerate pretty much everything I been tryin. This SCARES ME TO DEATH!!! I can eat sugar free ice cream no prob althou it's a couple spoon fulls. I'll eat nuts no prob. Am I over doing it? Am I gunna stretch my pouch? What do I do? HELP ADVISE???

Wow wish they would put the band in my head ever week or so I can stop thinking and eatting. Iam a year out..I dont keep anything bad in the house so the most I do is over eat yogurt but in the course of the day in can be alot of calories even on good food. This all started when I had to have the band emptied twice and worked my way up but it never was the same. I am up and down 6 lbs and I am happy at this weight but still would like to get to my goal. I am going in for alittle more put in the bsnd and back to the gym (thats been the real problem I think) so I will hang in there.

I make two weeks tomorrow and Im still on phase 2 until the 5th week is when I can start eating eggs per the diet the doctor has given me. All I eat is soups, water, protein shakes, popsicles, yogurt, broth,jello and cottage cheese. My problem is making sure I get all my protein in and eating when I dont feel like it and for some reason I cannot stomach the sugar free pudding when I loved pudding before.

I eat oikos yogurt.... i love the yogurt.. It takes a while to eat it too.. I think if I am getting 30 g of protein I'm exaggerating :/

Okay guys... I am 7 days... Post op... I am on full liquids!! Help! Give me some ideas for my Greek yogurt... My doctor is letting me put in sugar free strawberry preserves ... But I have another week to go... Popsicles and protein shakes and soup are getting to me!!! I'm hungry! Is that normal! By the way I feel great!!! Alyce

It's delicious. I started a Bulgarian strain that was more tart and it came out really runny. Then I started adding powdered milk to it and it thickened up. I haven't made Greek yogurt yet but plan to. You just drain it in an old teeshirt or cheese cloth and let it hang for about an hour to thicken it. Nothing fancy, but it saves a lot of money.

I also make my own yogurt with the same kind of yogurt maker with the little glass jars. It's not enough for the whole family, but I think it will be perfect after I'm sleeved. For every 4 cups of milk I add 1 cup of dry milk and it seems to set up better. The best dried milk I've found is Bobs Red Mill...doesn't taste yucky to me like carnation. You need a good thermometer, and I use a digital one...think I got it from Walmart for not too much.

Everyone s different, what works for one wont work for another, so choose whats right for you. All the above posts are full, of great helpful advice, so here goes another piece of advice. Try journaling daily the details of what you eat. Time , type of food, occasion, feelings, satisfaction etc. After awhile you'll notice a pattern, maybe ? I noticed that I didn't crave sweets in the AM, but really wanted them late afternoon or evening. So I keep some frozen yogurt bars and other healthy treats in the house for those times. Im not perfect, I still have stuff I shouldn't sometimes, but being aware and listening to my bodys wants and needs helps alot when im craving something. Am I really craving it, or am I tired, stressed, sad, overwhelmed ?? Hope this helps, good luck !

Okay I woke up feeling great this morning. So I had my usual protein drink and coffee. Then water. Then fage 0% yogurt with peach and half banana pulverized in food processor, for lunch. More water.. Then some more broth. Oh I'm 6 days post surgery. Anyway I had the munches. Boredom not hungry. Then I put one of the little breaks tone cottage cheese pots with a little salsa on it and ran it thru food processor. More yogurt. And on and on. Then I began to feel bad. Gas pain returned. Stomach pain. Basically just feel yucky. Lordie I hope I haven't done any damage to my sleeve. Will definitely follow my instruction to the letter of the law,

Please don't rush it. Would hate to see you get a leak. At 6 days you should still be on clear liquids or close to full liquids. Are you on mushies yet? If so, that is awfully quick. i would not even be having yogurt at 6 days, and certainly not a banana. Even when you get there, please watch the bananas, they are full of sugar. Iif you are drinking coffee, you should be drinking decaf because caffeine will dehydrate you especially at this stage. Right now please concentrate on liquids and protein. You do not want to get dehydrated. there is no reason to make your stomach ache or to be nauseated when you are this far out. It takes your stomach 12 weeks to heal. Please follow your doctors or NUT's instructions and don't vary from it. Your time will come sooner then you realize, but if you keep making yourself sick, he won't let you go to the next stage! Good luck!

My full liquid diet is the same as my clear liquids (water, skim milk, broth, sf Popsicles, crystal light, tea, coffee) plus cream based Soups (absolutely no lumps or chunks) and drinkable yogurt (which means I'm just going to Water down some Greek yogurt). Plus my Protein drinks which I started post-op. I start tomorrow and in preperation got five different kinds of soup (holy crap I get flavors other than fake fruit!): cream of mushroom, red pepper and tomato (cream), lentil soups and a loaded baked potato soup. The last two have chunks but I plan to purée them before heating. I'll also be using the leftover homemade chicken broth and adding a cream base powder to it for cream of chicken. I've really been struggling with getting all my protein in in the liquid diet, and now that I can have foods that taste good I'm even more concerned. Right now it all comes from my Protein Drinks (I try to get in two a day....16 oz total) with skim milk. But maybe the new normal of three meals (the soups and yogurt) with two Protein Drink Snacks will make me feel like I'm eating like a human instead of trying to drink as much protein and liquid as I can remember to in a day. I'm just ready for a meal to actually feel like a meal!

I understand how you feel. I had my surgery last Tuesday 8/26. I am ready for pureed but I'm not hungry. I tried Greek yougurt yesterday with sugar free Jello mixed with it, it was okay but I really did not like the Greek Yogurt.

You can add Mio liquid enhancers to greek yogurt... I haven't tried sugar free strawberry preserves, sounds good.

I had the same problem the first couple weeks. Try eating yogurt or cottage cheese they are both loaded with Protein. I honestly have no nice remedies. I would take the Gas X strips and that would help me with that feeling. There are still foods that effect me that way. Those foods I stay away from and then 're- intruduce that food back into my diet a few weeks later to see how it lands. Some food are fine and some not so much. It takes time to learn your new body. When my surgeon told me I might dislike food I would normally love I thought he was nuts. Turns out he knew what he was talking about. Sorry I am rambling.... With all that being said.... I know this is a hard thing to do... however, try to be patient you will get it all figured out...... Best wishes!

Hi Bullit - I hope your port area is feeling better. My port is about 4" under my left boob, seems low to me - I hope it doesn't drift to my thigh as I get thinner! Yes, I also felt weak the 1st two weeks or so - our bodies are in shock, and having hardly any carbs or calories does make you weak, that too gets better as our bodies adjust, adding just a bit of soft foods (tofu, hummus, yogurt) has helped me. Are you drinking your protein? You should try and get at least 60 gms a day. I've been doing pretty good on drinking my water, and you will find as your post op swelling goes down it is easier to swallow, though I think the post op swelling gives us a feel as to what a fill will feel like (?) I know when I go back to work, next week, getting all my water in will be harder to do. I was banded in Mexico (DR. Rumbaut) and have my follow up/fill Dr. Fox, not too far from me in Tacoma. Hang in there - We are doing great!!!

To those entering the stage that allows yogurt... I can't recommend enough the Oikos brand greek caramel yogurt. It is the best tasting yogurt I have ever had. It can be hard to find - but try Target or Walmart. It is amazing.

Well, day 3 post surgery. I have never taken so many naps in my life although I am NOT complaining! Having to remember to eat/drink 4 oz of liquid every hour is interesting. I know I get a little more tired after I have something besides water - like jello or yogurt. Same routine til my follow up appointment with my surgeon on Tuesday and my PCP on Wednesday. We shall see what the next phase brings. Anyone else have a post-op update?

So I got sleeved exactly a week ago. The following was posted by me at OH for those of you who frequent both sites. I'm just trying to get some insight into a really frustrating situation. I was on IV fluids only until Monday, when I started clears. I was on clears until Tuesday afternoon when my info packet said I could move to purees (including mashed potatoes). So since Tuesday, I've been eating the following: -Refried Beans (made me a bit bloated and unhappy) -Yogurt drinkables with splendaa(very pleasant, easy on my stomach) -pudding cups (fill me up fast, but pleasantly satisfying) -Soup with the chunks strained out, though not necessarily clear broth (ie, tortilla soup and hot & sour) -Soft tofu mashed into thin paste -Runny oatmeal with milk and Splenda -Starbucks Iced Latte with no sugar Now bear in mind I just got back. Protein drinks and sugar free options were very slim down in Mexico, so I had to commit minor carbicide a few times, just to get something in me. But is there anything on this list I should definitely NOT be having one week out? Only the beans felt like a bit too much. I'm also trying to better understand the when and when not to drink in relation to meals, even if the meals are mostly liquid. My doctor's diet schedule is incredibly vague "Softs: 3 days to three weeks" and a lot of the other ones overlap. The confusion comes because Angeles Health's own literature is so damned inconsistent. I dug up one version of their post-op plan that outlines Week1: Clears, Week2: Protein shakes, Week3: Puree, etc. But my doctor's nutritionist handed me a paper packet that said to go from clears to puree on Day 4! So I did, and it even listed mashed potatoes as an option! I'm so confused! And now you all have me worried. My own nutritionist isn't seeing me because she thinks there's no point since my diet is so restrictive. I flat-out told my surgeon and his team I was having yogurt drinkables, strained soup (not necessarily clear), and mashed potatoes and they voiced no objection. *sigh* Another issue is that when you're released from the hospital, they cut you loose and want you to stick to the diet plan. We found no easy protein shakes in Tijuana, nor did we find anything low-carb that I could eat in the pureed category. We really were left to our own devices. My stomach feels okay. I was eating mashed potatoes extremely slowly, licking little bits from my spoon and could only eat an ounce or so before feeling full. I'm perfectly happy to scale it back now that I'm back in the States. Should I just go back to my pre-op protein shakes? How do I know if my sleeve is okay and didn't get stretched?? The potatoes were okay at first, but now I just feel a bit bloated. I guess I'm trying to get some peace of mind that I haven't done any permanent damage to my new sleeve. PS - The coffee dried me out, so I think I've learned my lesson on that.

Darn, you peeps spoke to soon. We could have really messed with Nicole's head and told her she's the only one! Nicole, are you kidding? You, the only naughty one? Pa-leeezzze! But I just enjoyed a delicious dish of fresh fruit with a blob of cherry whipped yogurt. It was really heavenly, but it was NOT candy. (In your best Sinade O'Connor - singing to the candy) Nothing compares, noTHING COMpares, to yoooooooooooooou.

For those of us who believe in a Higher Power, God, Jesus Budah whomever, try this. Print this prayer on business cards and stick them here there and everywhere. In the car, in your wallet, in the bathroom or on the fridg. My good friend who was banded on 11/1/2005 gave it to me. Dear God, I surrender my body and my weight loss to your divine care and love. I ask that you remove all excess unnecessary weight from my body. Return mybody to it’s most healthy and balanced state. Give me eating habits that support my health and life energy, and finally, teach me to love my body and to care for it from this day forth. Amen I know it when I read it I stop... I might eat, I might eat better or sometimes I say "Drink some more water" LOL That and another tip Lynn gave me... eat with a baby spoon it slows ya down... now it's like a love affair with my yogurt... oooooo LOL any hoo just something I would Share! Good Luck to you all! Just Keep Swimming!!!

Hi Jennifer I think it is fantastic that you joined up in support of your husband. I think the biggest misconception may be that there are foods we can't eat after surgery. Granted there are MANY items we shouldn't eat, but unless for some reason he can't tolerate something, the option to have his favorites, in moderation, are there. Bread is hard for a lot of folks, its just too dense and heavy. There is no way to know exactly how he will be effected. I love my carbs too, and I know I need to stay away from them to really get the most out of my weight loss efforts. This has ALWAYS been the case, not just post op. Carbs are necessary for a balanced diet, but most have no real nutritional value. Since we take in so few calories, we really want to get the most bang for our buck, so I try to stay away. I just found some wraps (Fiber One honey wheat) that I will have for lunch on occasion. Your switching to whole wheat pastas etc, is a great step in aiding his changing habits. I had a conversation with my mother not too long ago, she has never had any weight issues and we were a large family of 10 kids, so she never really thought about the food we ate growing up and how it does shape our habits throughout out life, just that we had enough. We had lots of bread and Pasta, quick meals that fed a lot of people for less money. It was a way of life, and that's what it needed to be at the time. But looking back, my habits were formed early on, it was up to me to change them. I completely understand his not wanting his struggles to be ones your children have later on and his wanting it to change now. That being said, it has got to be hard for a whole family to make sweeping changes, but some are for the overall better good. I don't have children, but I do have my young nieces & nephews come over a lot. Yogurt, cheese sticks, fruit. all acceptable snack items that are all still good for me too. keeping an open dialog is most important, if there is an item that he feels having around will make it really hard for him then maybe talk with the kids and see if they can take one for the team & dad and do away with for a while. I also can understand needing there not to be junk food in the house, maybe each of the kids can pick their own healthier alternative while he is in the early stages. I have been keeping pre-portioned packs of nuts as a snack, it gives me a crunch and on my plan. Making the decisions as a family for the overall good should make it a little easier at least. He may not realize all the changes you have been making behind the scenes. There are a few really good websites that have very tasty family friendly recipes. www.theworldaccordingtoeggface.com and www.emilybites.com The kids most likely won't even realize these are "healthier" options. If his inquiry about surgery opened more of a dialog about healthy eating habits for the family, there is no "fault" there. He might need to think about it in a different way, or at least know that you don't think of it that way. Every summer I go away with a big group of my family to the beach. This year I put it out there to my many nieces and nephews to bring their bikes as a way of getting from one house to another (and to get me moving on vacation) They JUMPED at it, they loved that I wanted to ride with them and every one brought a bike, the whole week we rode and they never thought it was more than a great way to spend time together. My point really has to do with perception. There is a sub-forum here The Man's room. He & youmay get unique point of view by checking it out. Again, I really applaud your efforts to understand what he is going through and your willingness to do what you can to make the process easier. Best of luck to you all!!

So dr's orders are plenty of liquids but only 1-2 ounces in. 15 minute time frame. Anyone else have this? I find myself parched and I am really trying to take the dr's orders seriously. So help would be nice He also has virtually no Protein listed on the sheet other than drinkable yogurt - any high protein suggestions there? Thanks Susan

Duh...I just NOW saw this tread.:faint:Anyway, you know we're praying for you over here at our house. I do hope they take your tonsils out. Have your tried yogurt? The acidophilus may be helpful since you've been on the antibiotics.