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Ok, my diet is First 2 day: clear liquids including sf jello and popsicles and tea Day 2-9 protein drinks, yogurts, cream soups, sf pudding Day 10-16 pureed foods, applesauce consistency Day 17-30 soft mushy foods like ground meat, tuna, cottage cheese, scrambled eggs

Hello Everyone, I have a question hope someone can help. I have my sleeve on the 23rd I will be on liquids for 2 weeks. One of things my doctor said to get is fat free & sugar free yogurt. I have not been able to find any. Does anyone know of any fat free & sugar free yogurt? Thanks Patty

I was allowed Greek yogurt/sf yogurt two days post-op. Every dr is different. It sounds like gas pain or referred pain to me.

Some of the pre-op diets seem pretty restricitive. Garcia's seems okay. Dr. Illan has a liquid diet for 1 week. With at least 3.5 litres of fluid. It includes Jello, broth and yogurt. Only 1 protein shake a day though. It seems survivable.

Hi, Well, yesterday was my 30 days post op, and I celebrated by eating meatloaf. So you won't be on liquids forever. I still take my protein shakes religiously, buy I also eat real food. You will too. We have to take it slowly, because our tummys are healing. I am healed on the outside, but my stomach is still healing. The shakes will be with me for a while, but that's ok. When I feel like a snack I take a little piece of Laughing Cow soft swiss cheese, or a yogurt. It makes me feel normal. I had the band before this, so I'm accustomed to stages of eating. Before I was sleeved, I worried about everything. It's very normal. I too, have 100 lbs. to lose. I'm on my way! Good luck!

Protein vs. liquid Cuz it sure as heck can't be both. I got in a record amount of fluids today at the pool! I figured that was more important after spending an entire day in the sun. For the first time, I got down 40 oz of Water, but I had to force myself to eat 2oz of yogurt and 2 oz of creamed Soup and I am paying for it now. My youngest can't stop herself from giggling at the ferocious noises that are coming from my throat. Fortunately, before I drank all that, I got in one entire Protein shake so I got some protein in, but when I opened the second, it went back in the fridge after a few sips. Ugh... One day at a time, right? Still no complaints but it sure is weird having the FULL feeling up so high instead on in a thanksgiving tummy. I really wouldn't be unhappy staying this way IF I could figure out how to work out a belch faster. Ideas? (And if one more person goes to burp me like an infant, they will be gagging on their own teeth, for real!)

We fly out tomorrow at 6! So many emotions but one us hunger. Day 3 of yogurt and water and I could hurt someone over a hamburger. Heck even a pc of fruit right about now!!

Yep. Avoid the grains. Go for yogurt, kefir, ricotta cheese/ricotta cheese bake, soft scrambled eggs (emphasis on soft), custard, protein puddings...and only progress slowly slowly.

Thanks, Fluffy. I've had success so far with yogurt and pureed refried beans diluted with chicken broth. May try ricotta tonite! No more cream of rice! [emoji39] Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

What specifically do you want help with ? I sent u a PM if u prefer that. Try small, frequent, high protein meals and Snacks, don't try to go low fat ( I eat 5-6 a day) Drink lots of Water but not during or half hr after meals. Examples of what I eat: Turkey Jerky 1 fried egg on 1slice light (35 calorie toast) with a slice of cheese on it Half a large apple w BP Light yogurt Half a sandwich made w 1slice light (35 calorie) bread toasted or grilled. Cup of Soup or chowder. NO crackers salad w meat, cheese 3 oz protein and small amount of veggies Cucumber slices, baby carrots and ranch dip

I just started puréed food on Wednesday and haven't been very successful. I can do cottage cheese and cream soups and yogurts and puddings. But anything like puréed meats and I just can't stand the texture. Also the thicker stuff sits at the top of my throat it seems like. Waiting to come back up. Think I'm going to stick to protein shakes for a while longer.

At 4 days post-op, really focus on getting your Fluid volume in vs Protein grams. You'll be okay for a while with less protein as long as you're getting close to your Water goal. Going forward, I second getting some unflavored Protein powder. There are many brands, I'm a GENEPRO fan but there are other brands that others have had good luck with. Find one, because once you get to pureed/soft foods, that powdered protein will be the key to your success. I put it in cottage cheese, refried Beans, yogurt, pudding...anything soft and moist. I'm over 6 months post-op and I still put a scoop in my coffee every morning. Good luck!

What stage are you at now? I see you had surgery on 1.14.20? Can you give us a little more information? There are lots of ways to "cut" protein drinks to adjust their sweetness. My favorites are: Cut RTD protein drinks with decaff coffee or decaff tea. (Great both hot and on ice and blended into frappaccinos!) Cut RTD protein drinks with fat free milk or nut milks. I like high protein Fairlife or Mootopia fat free. Cut RTD protein drinks with nonfat, plain kefir. Cut RTD protein drinks with nonfat, plain Greek yogurt. Cut RTD protein drinks with nonfat, plain Greek yogurt + 2% cottage cheese to make a "protein soup". Add sf Walden Farms Blueberry or Strawberry Pancake Syrup (it's even better if you add 6g Vitacost Peanut Butter Slim Powdered Peanut Butter--tastes like PB&J without the bread). Make custards with RTD + Add a scoop of favorite flavored protein powder to Greek yogurt and stir well--tastes like pudding. Love Isopure Bananas & Cream this way! Add a half scoop of unflavored protein to a bit of cold broth to make a paste. Slowly add more cold broth until it's the thickness you prefer. Slowly heat but know protein clumps at temps over 145º. You can do this same thing to cream soups like strained cream of chicken. Add a tablespoon of unflavored protein to anything like refried beans, smashed roasted cauliflower, alfredo sauces for zoodles or over well-cooked green beans. Add a tablespoon of unflavored protein to a quick "Thanksgiving Green Bean Casserole with Canned Chicken" for soft food stage. So dang good!

I went to see him yesterday and he was concerned because I have been afraid to eat and drink...He said you have to get your protein in to heal...so today, I drank an 11 0z protein drink then a 12 oz diet iced tea, followed by the 5 oz yogurt..i did do it all slowly, waiting for a sense of fullness which never came...i dont know what is normal and what is not and havent had much help from the doc except a sheet of paper with a list of approved foods at different stages....

I just had my surgery on 3/27 and had to do a pre-op liquid diet as well. I had to do it for 10 days. Each surgeon seems to do it a little different. Mine allowed 3-4 high protein low carb shakes (Atkins Advantage) for meals and then I could pick 2 protein choices a day (fat free yogurt, 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 2 oz deli turkey breast, hard boiled egg or 8 oz skim milk). Also allowed 1 cup steamed veg or 2 cup raw veg (non-starches). I found the shakes surprisingly do fill you up more than I expected and had one at each meal and one before bed, I spaced the yogurt and other proteins mid morning and dinner and filled the veggies in between. Also had unlimited sugar free jello, crystal light, sugar free popsicles and fat free broth as well. It's tough at first but doable, it seems to get easier after the first few days. I lost 14 pounds during my 10 days and my surgeon said my liver was shrunk which helps them perform the surgery more safely. Good luck!

Hi all. I have done a lot of griping and obsessing on this forum. I had my 1 week post-op appt today and it was very reassuring. Here's what I came away with. I share it because I hope it might help reassure some of you: 1. I only lost 6 lbs in one week. Response: That's fine. You're body is adjusting. Don't pay much attention to the scale at this point. Your 2 mos post op will tell the tale. 2. I'm scared I'm stretching my sleeve because I can drink Fluid with no limit. Response: Don't worry to much about that. 3. I seem to do better getting my fluids with a straw. Response: Then use one. 4. I'm scared that I'm stretching my sleeve because I can already eat a 5.5 oz yogurt in one sitting. Response: don't worry about it. But make sure you aren't drinking fluids before or after meals (30 min). Once you get to solids, you won't do that. 5. I'm worried about having to track Protein, calories, carbs for the rest of my life. I can't do it. Does that mean I will fail? Response: Not at all. Everyone is different. Some patients track religiously and that's great. Many patients say that after a few months, they don't need to track because they already know what they can and cannot eat and what it means to get in adequate protein. That is certainly true at 6 mos to a year post-op. You'll be fine. 6. I'm exhausted. I read about people exercising at my stage post-op and I just cannot fathom it. I sleep during the day and then sleep again at night. Is this normal? Response: Yes, totally normal. Everyone is different. You had major surgery. You'll likely turn a corner when you start eating more solid food (starting this week w/ refried Beans, eggs, cottage cheese, tuna, yay!!!) 7. I am weepy. I am prone to depression and I'm worried that surgery has been a trigger. Response: Don't worry yet. Many people report their emotions being all over the place as the hormones stabilize post-surgery. This should subside with time. That said, stay on your medications. That's all I can remember, but the bottom line is that he was very reassuring. I got the impression that there is just a lot of variation among patients and that's ok. Feeling much better, Angela

how in the world do you get 100 g of Protein in, in a day's time? I'm not getting enough and am losing hair and nails so my dr upped my protein by eating protein bar not shake but I certainly do not know how you eat that much, please share...I'm only 1 yr out. It isn't hard. Four flounder filets, or 1/2 chicken breasts, along with 80 grams of low fat Greek yogurt at breakfast, will easily get you to between 80 or 90 grams of protein per day, with less than 500 calories.

When I started my NUT (six visits!) I was tracking my calories already. Her main concern was my Protein intake. I would have instant sugar free oatmeal with blueberries for Breakfast, and she would always comment that I wasn't having protein intake for that meal. Now I have low fat Greek yogurt and blueberries for my breakfast. I also started eating a lot of fish and chicken for my lunch and dinner meals, and started eliminating unneeded carbs (breads, pastas, rolls... the stuff that adds useless calories.) I was able to keep my calories under 1000, while keeping the protein at 80 to 90 grams. My NUT, and the APRN who does my fills and follow up visits, both want to see a minimum amount of protein. My NUT showed me plastic samples of food, and told me to be aware of portion sizes (what a cup of something looks like.) But, I was never told to limit my portions, and my APRN told me not to worry if I was eating more than a cup of food at a meal. I assume if I have future fills that lead to intake restriction, I may have to reduce portions. The NUT said always to eat the protein portions first, and then fill on the veggies or other foods afterwards.

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.

GPS is a very hot topic in the bariatric surgery community and growing every day. I am now starting to train other surgeons on the procedure and the demand for this is increasing as patients request GPS and surgeons want to learn how to do it. I have visited several U.S. surgeons that also do GPS for the benefit of sharing information and maximizing our collective knowledge about a new procedure. We share information on a regular basis for the benefit of our patients. Last week I visited a prestigious academic center that has started offering plication as well. When we first started, our patients were having a hard time pronouncing and remembering terms like imbrication and plication so I asked my wife what we should call it and she suggested GPS for Gastric Plication Surgery because it was easy to remember. This term seems to have caught on and now I see even international surgeons use the term. There does not seem to be agreement about the bougie size (bougie being a soft rubber tube used to size the new stomach sleeve). I have a strong opinion that the sutures (stitches) should be interrupted (individual stitches with a knot tied at each location) as opposed to a running stitch (knot tied at each end of a long stitch taking many "bites" along the way much like sewing. With interrupted stitches, the tension is controlled at each knot. With a running stitch, the tension is not controlled and can get too tight and lead to stomach tissue necrosis and/or perforation which we have all read about on this board. Another part of this is not to place the suture too deeply. In surgeonspeak, the suture should be seromuscular, not full-thickness. I also have a strong opinion that the ideal stitch is 2-O Ethibond. This is a third generation silk that actually causes a bit of scar tissue (favorable) which makes the bond stronger than just the stitch itself. Ethibond has been around for many years plicating the stomach for other reasons and it holds really well. I have seen Prolene used which is a monofilament suture and causes no reaction and actually doesn't hold its knots as well (poor suture memory as we call it) which means the knots can come undone. I think Prolene is at too high of a risk for prolapse where the whole thing resorts back to the normal stomach size or even worse where only one section is herniated out and could cause problems. I also feel strongly that the sutures should be no more than 2-3 centimeters apart from one another. I've seen surgeons place their stitches much further apart and I think this again increases the risk for prolapse or the stomach herniated back out between the stitches. We've learned from doing thousands of band surgeries for the last 9 years the importance of a two week liquid Protein diet prior to surgery to reduce the size of the liver and improve the ease of the operation. The first weight you lose comes out of the liver. I also think it is important to eradicate the known stomach bacteria, Helicobacter pylori because it is ubiquitous, most of us have it in our stomach lining and it can cause ulceration, inflammation or swelling when surgery is done on the stomach. This is easily eradicated with a two week antibiotic regimen pre-op. I think it's important to stay on a liquid diet (pureed Soups, applesauce, Jello, pudding, yogurt) for the first week and soft mushy foods for weeks two and three. Carbonation is a bad idea in any stomach surgery for weight loss because it dilates our work. (Have you ever opened a dropped can of Coke?) The best weight loss is acheived when you avoid drinking liquids for an hour after a meal. This allows you to be fuller sooner and longer and really makes the tool of GPS more effective. We have found that Levsin (hycosamine) 0.125mg SL (sublingual - under the tongue) given pre-op and continued three times daily post-op dramatically reduces the crampy abdominal pain after GPS. This has really improved the patient experience with this surgery. I also use lots of numbing medicine (local anesthetic) during the surgery which dramatically decreases pain after surgery. I always scope the stomach during the operation to make sure we're not missing an ulcer or polyp or any other important pathology. I do this in the operating room because it saves doing it as a separate procedure and also the scope is the ideal bougie size so I leave it in for the sizing catheter and this allows me to look at the perfect sleeve I just created when we're done with the procedure. Many surgeons don't do a stomach scope and I worry about doing this with no knowledge of the stomach lining. There is a lot of debate about stapled sleeve gastrectomy vs GPS. One item of consideration I think is important is that stapled sleeve patients have a 9% incidence of Vitamin B12 deficiency. The stomach makes something called intrinsic factor that aids in the absorption of Vitamin B12. A distinct advantage to GPS is that no stomach is removed and the intrinsic factor levels are not disturbed so you would expect that GPS patients would not have such a high incidence of vitamin deficiency. Stapled sleeve patients are also deficient in several other Vitamins such as Iron, folate and Vitamin D. (Ref: Obesity Surgery 2011, Feb 21(2):207-11.) I think there are many advantages to leaving the stomach in the body - just making it smaller as a powerful weight loss tool. Ghrelin gets a lot of press but it is important to realize that you reduce ghrelin with pressure (food in a smaller stomach). Ghrelin is a feedback hormone so physically removing stomach doesn't eliminate ghrelin. You guys have seen me rant about hiatal hernias on this board and I continue to feel strongly about repairing this during the surgery. What I've learned is that if you are overweight, there is nearly a 100% chance that you have a hiatal hernia and even if this is small it should be repaired at the time of surgery. Otherwise, you will have terrible heartburn when your stomach is made smaller. I get calls from patients that had GPS elsewhere and they have terrible heartburn and their hiatal hernia was not addressed at the time of surgery and they are pretty miserable. This is avoidable. Hiatal hernias are really easy to fix at the time of surgery so my opinion is that there is little excuse for ignoring this principle. The latter part of this month, I have a major annual surgical conference and plication is now on the agenda of this meeting. All this to say, I think that GPS is here to stay and gaining in popularity. One of my GPS patients came in the office last week having lost over 70 pounds in less than six months and he is quite thrilled as am I. That is all the good stuff. To me, the main downside is that the procedure is still new and we don't have long-term data. Two year data out of Europe looks good but we don't have two year U.S. data yet. There is some interesting data from Germany showing dilations ten years after stapled sleeve gastrectomy and I think the GPS can do this as well. We know from other operations that the key to preventing dilation is to avoid carbonation and avoid eating to the point of regurgitation after the stomach is smaller. Whenever something new comes up with GPS I will post it on this board. I also thank you for teaching me. Your experiences that you post here educate all of us. Keep up the great work. I wish you all the very best of success in your weight loss journey. Don't forget to buy yourself a substantial present when you reach your goal. Brad Watkins MD

Do you like Greek yogurt? That is a staple for me. I use it for at least one of my meals daily and it has lots of protein. I find eggs extremely filling. I couldn't eat them the first 6 months.

Your surgeon in Mexico will definitely give you pain meds. You will barely be able to drink your water and broth so I don't think you will need any other foods i.e. yogurt. Maybe some crystal light if you like for your water but for me right after surgery all of these sweet drinks I couldn't tolerate. My surgeon also gave me two bottles of gatorade. Meds in Mexico are also very inexpensive so depending on if you have to pay in the U.S. you may want to just by some there. I suggest to walk as soon as you can after surgery, I had no gas pain and my pain was minimal. I actually walked most of the night as I had slept all day waiting for my surgery time. Best wishes

Breakfast - 1 container of SF Yogurt with granola mixed in Lunch - 2 chips & salsa, a taco salad (just ate the grilled chicken off of it) and a small portion of quacamole (we went out for lunch to Mexican) Dinner - 5 little mini sugar free brownies - the new girl scout ones, 1/2 cup of salad, 1/2 cup of popcorn - I know (where is the protein?) Had a bad problem tonight with just putting stuff in my mouth - see notes Exercise - Treadmill (PM) 50 min, 359 calories, 2.48 miles, speed varied 3.1 to 3.2 mph. Notes - Didn't weigh this morning:clap2: - I was glad I had enough will power to stay off the scales - I dont ever want to see 200 AGAIN, so I'm waiting until I know I'm down to the 190's before stepping on my scale. Hopefully by Monday I will feel skinny enough to step on them. Okay - I noticed tonight I was eating every time I turned around, was I hungry NO. I figured out tonight that I must work on this "grazing". I need to not eat just because its "dinner time", but wait until I'm actually hungry I think. I'm not sure why I was eating, I think it was out of boredome, or just the need to put something in my mouth. I will be making a conscious effort to not graze and not just put JUNK in my mouth.

Listening to your body. Many of us got where we needed surgery by pushing past that fll feeling. If you are concerned about hitting your protein, switch things up. Add a bit greek yogurt to your Protein shake. *Flavor your Water with a Protein Drink like Isopure NoCarb or Syntrax Nectars. Plan for 3 meals and 2 Snacks instead of 3 big meals. It will allow you to get in more protein without pushing your limits. *Isopure Nocarb drinks are 40gms of protein for 20 ounces. I divide the bottle into 3 parts. I use my 24 ounce water bottle. I try to drink 24 ounces 3 times a day. I add the Isopure and carry my bottles everywhere and sip whenever I am not eating. It makes meeting protein & Fluid goals easy.

Hello my fellow Marchies!! (Crickets chirping...) Where is everybody?!?!?!? Oh well guess everyone is busy this holiday weekend... Hope everyones 4th was a fun one... So how are we all doing this month... Hows the progress?? It seems like i am officially stuck at my current weight without being able to crack the 168/169lb marker... I know my fill level is good and i have optimal restriction, i guess my problem is my eating habits haven't been following the good old bandster rules... and the exercise needs to be kicked up another notch!!! I say we all vow to go back to those bandster rules this month and get the ball rolling again!!! Anyone with me?? Here are the good old rules as a nice reminder: Avoid drinking liquids during or immediately after meals as liquids tend to flush food through the stomach pouch. This prevents you from getting that prolonged feeling of satisfaction needed to help you eat less. As always, staying hydrated throughout the day is important, however. Drink at least six to eight cups of water per day, and make sure you consume them between meals. Chew your food thoroughly and eat small bites so that the food can easily fit through the opening to your stomach pouch. This will help you avoid the problem of food blocking the stomach outlet. Only eat when you are hungry and no more than three small meals a day, but you must make sure that these meals contain adequate nutrition. Remember, your stomach can only hold about one-quarter of a cup of food, or two ounces, at a time. Stop eating when your hunger is gone or when you feel comfortable. The general nutrition guide below can help you create good and healthy meals that contain adequate nutrients but low sugar and fat: Good Food Choices Fruits and vegetables One to two servings of fresh fruit daily Two to three servings of fresh vegetables daily [*]Breads and cereals One small portion of low-sugar cold or hot cereal Half to one slice of toasted whole wheat or rye bread each day. Note: Some patients have difficulty eating bread [*]Meat, fish, poultry, eggs One to two ounces of meat, fish, or poultry-or one egg each day. Remove all visible fat from the meat. Remove the skin from poultry. Prepare the meat in ways that need very little fat. Grilling, steaming, microwaving, or boiling are all good ways to do this. Note: Some patients have difficulty eating meat. [*]Dairy products Milk and yogurt are calories in liquid form. However, these types of food have calcium, which makes them an important part of a healthy daily diet, so choose a maximum of 2 cups of skimmed milk or low-fat yogurt and 1 ounce of cheese a day. [*]Fats Restrict the use of fat to 3 to 4 teaspoons of margarine, butter, or oil per day. You can have low-fat salad dressings and mayonnaise in moderation. [*]Drinks Drink as many calorie-free liquids per day as you wish (though not with meals). Suitable drinks are tea or coffee (black) with low-calorie sweetener, water, non-carbonated beverages containing few or no calories Some doctors have reported that carbonated beverages may contribute to enlargement of the small pouch and recommend they be avoided. Back to Top [*]Foods to Avoid Some foods deliver a concentrated supply of calories but little nutritional value. These foods should be avoided whenever possible. They include: syrups cakes jam chips pastries Alcoholic drinks should also be consumed in moderation: for example, one glass of wine per day. [*]Common Problem Foods Some foods have difficulty passing through the stomach opening created by the LAP-BAND® System and may cause blockage. These include: dry meat shrimp untoasted or doughy bread rice peanut butter fibrous vegetables like corn, asparagus, and celery nuts greasy or fried food membrane of citrus fruits I got everything directly off the lapband site... I figured we all may need a little jog in the memory once in a while... Oh and tdont forget the most important rule!!! PROTEIN PROTEIN PROTEIN ALWAYS FIRST!!! I'm pretty sure that is well drilled into our minds.... but i can honestly say i haven exactly been following that rule very well lately!!!