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Good job! I will be 3 weeks post op on Tuesday! Yay I get to start purée phase! Not had a bite of food in 20 days! What's strange is when I'm around food that smells good, ya I think yum! But my stomach says no way! I am not hungry so it's been easy as far as that goes. I'm just tired of shakes, broth & yogurt! It will be so nice to put something new in my mouth! I hope I will be able to tell when I'm full because I kind of feel full all the time! I want to make sure I'm eating enough, but at the same time I don't want to over eat! Any suggestions???

I can admit to having lots of doubts in the beginning. I woke up thinking "what in the heck have I done to myself" and then the first time the family had pizza and I had my chicken broth I thought again "what in the heck have I done to myself". But I can honestly say, that very quickly I realized that there are NO REGRETS! I am a year out, at my goal, exercising, loving the way I look and feel, encouraged by all the positives comments I get on how good I am looking, my health is better and I have confronted a lot of emotional issues that led me down the path to obesity. Yes, it is drastic surgery. Yes, it is good that you are taking your time and taking it seriously. I did the same thing. I researched for a year before I had the surgery but I am sooooo glad that I did!!! Best thing ever!!! But you have to decide for yourself what is right for you. I am like DUBRookie, I can eat just about anything. There are a few things that my tummy doesnt like but nothing that I cant live without. (Almonds and eggs make my tummy hurt) But my husband says that the meals that I make now compared to before are much tastier and that he enjoys them more (and he has lost 60 pounds alongside me!) I can have a piece of pizza if I want it, I can have a cookie or some frozen yogurt, I just have to make sure that this is occasional and not a daily thing. Life looks a lot better without the extra weight and without being chained to the kitchen always wondering what I will eat next. My experience has been a great one! Hope you have a great one too!

I've had some minor pain, nothing too unmanageable but I'm off pain meds now. I still get a little sore when I first start eating something. I started pureed food Monday. I've been able to do yogurt, canned chicken and refried Beans, that's about it. The Atkins Protein shakes aren't so bad either. I've been having a little trouble getting my Water in. I've been watching to clock and a half hr done eating starting to sip but I still feel like im not getting enough, so I feel like I need to try pushing that more. Has that been a problem for anyone else? I haven't got sick yet, I've also been nervous about that. I haven't felt it yet but I'm worried for if it comes. Emotionally it's been tough. I just went back to work wednesday, so being in a routine has helped a little but I've been pretty overwhelmed. And watching people eat things I can't have has been so hard. I don't even want anything unhealthy, I want to eat grilled chicken and some wild rice. I want to sit at the dinner table with people and feel like im actually eating more than babyfood. I know that will get easier once we can eat normal foods, but in the meantime it's been difficult.

I've done protein shakes with milk a couple times this week, but I haven't tried any dairy since the yogurt. I'll have to keep that in mind

I track all my food on MyFitnessPal.com. I still mostly only eat 3-4 oz. at a time but lately I've been able to eat more at lunch. Unlike most people, I start out the day wide-open and get tighter as the day progresses. My schedule has recently changed and I haven't worked out a new routine. But meals such as lunch or dinner tend to be meat and veggies. I sometimes have a few bites of potato. Once in a while I'll do Soup or a salad... I put a lot of cottage cheese and egg on the salad if it's from a salad bar and I get salad with grilled chicken if I'm at a restaurant. Snacks tend to be yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese sticks, nuts or trail mix, Protein hot chocolate or a Protein Bar. Sometimes I do fruit or beef Jerky. Breakfast is almost always a Protein shake. Sometimes I put fruit in it and sometimes I do not. When I work out, I do trail mix, gels, sports drinks (I mix in a compatible Protein Drink to up the protein), Protein Bars and bananas. I'm still experimenting with that as well. At this point, I still don't really eat bread or Pasta. I do sometimes have pizza and will eat the crust. But I've never been a big bread person and pasta now sits too heavy in my sleeve. I exercise 7-8x a week on 5 different days but I'm trying to get up to 9-10x a week. I'm training for a Half-Ironman and I need to do more than I've been doing. I just started working out with a personal trainer and I run 3-4 times a week, bike 2-3 and swim 1 time. I need to get another swim and another strength session in there!

I'm on a 10 day liquid diet protein shakes, broth, sugar free jello, a random egg her and there. I'm also allowed yogurt and cottage cheese which I can't stand its been tough day number 3 is today

There are many ways to add extra protein to your diet. I could not handle Protein Shakes at all so I would take SF pudding and add a scoop of protein powder or plain old powdered milk (excellent choice and cheap!) Also, you can add it to yogurt and double the amount of protein you get in one easy step. You need to work to get that protein in. It is crucial when in the "honeymoon" stage. Congrats on the choice to have the Sleeve. It is LIFE CHANGING!!

Yogurt, egg whites (some people have trouble with eggs), mashed potato (no gravy), mashed cauliflower, squash, chili (Wendy's), bbq chicken (KFC, no bun). I would bring ready to drink protein shakes so that you have SOMETHING in the event you are desperate (premier brand from Costco is very good, Muscle Milk Light). Bring some plastic spoons as you can usually find greek yogurt anywhere (including 7/11 or Cumberland Farms) but they may not have spoons.

Same as what I eat now, but in much smaller quantities of course Dense protein: Eggs Tuna (Any fish, really) Shrimp (Any shellfish, really) Lean red meats (occasionally) Chicken Turkey SOME dairy (IE REAL cheese, REAL butter, but in limited quantities) ONLY get your carbs from veggies, and limit starchy veggies (asparagus, cauliflower, potatoes, etc...) stick to mostly green veggies and salads. Stay away from iceberg lettuce and try to do romaine and spinach for salads as much as possible. NO SUGAR (Or as little as you can possibly get away with) Snacks: Cheese, almonds, Jerky, low fat, low sugar greek yogurt Drink TONS of water! I GUARANTEE you will lose what you need to lose and then some if you religiously stick to this and track calories. Good Luck!!

I can't believe this, but I'm down 26 pounds???? In only 3 weeks? I lost 12 during the pre-op liquids, and now 14lbs in the 8 days since surgery? I'm shocked, and THRILLED!!!! I can't believe it. I didn't know that was even possible. And, at 8-days post-op, I finally feel really really good, like I'm over the worst of the recovery... AND I'm officially cleared to start mushies! Though I'm going to take that suuuuuper slow. Start with yogurt and fish and see how I do... Anyway, I cannot tell you guys how absolutely dumbfounded and happy I am. I could cry.

I have been hungry alot more than I expected. I also have been able yo consume alot more than others whenever I eat. For example, I am able to eat a whole banana; a whole container of yogurt; a whole packet of instant oatmeal. Then an hour later I am hungry. My Dr. is not concerned; said some people reacr this way. Moved me to final stage as I can tolerate! Has anyone experienced this? I was told not to worry but I’ve been thinking I went through all of this and it’s not going to work??? Anxious to hear from anyone!

thanks for your reply. plain greek yogurt has lots of protein and no crap, esp if you make your own with organic raw milk. i cant imagine why, if you are eating such small amounts, you would need supplemental protein, it just seems like a lot of people are trading one form of junk for another...... it just seems this kind of surgery is a perfect place to start loving your body with food that is truly nurturing, dont pass it up!

I'm doing so much better post-op. I don't ever think I'll get to the point where I have time to make my own yogurt, but I have made leaps and bounds towards a much cleaner diet. I'll be thrilled to get to the point to eat more raw vegetables - I miss them! #progressnotperfection

Hey everyone! As a requirement for surgery I have to make a 3 day menu. My problem is that I don't like most of the items on the list. I don't like yogurt or cottage cheese. I have never eaten refried Beans. I have to have between 75-100g of Protein everyday. I want to be prepared so that I will not have problems after the surgery. What are some of the things that you guys ate during this phase of your journey. I don't have a surgery date yet, my final pre-op visit is Monday, April 14 and I am hoping to be scheduled before the end of the month (is that realistic?). I am so glad I found this site. My husband thinks I am crazy because for the past week, I have been reading all these post.

You actually cannot stretch your pouch however as the swelling goes down you have more room in there. also down the road, there is something that happens in which your brain allows you to eat more as well, so it is important that what you are eating is healthy and that you keep portion control in mind. I am 10.5 months post op and I can eat about a cup of food total. When you think of a cup of food, you think of it all chewed up. So if you are eating a salad you can actually eat more than will fit in a cup before chewing. As long as you are not eating longer than 30 minutes and sticking to your plan you should be just fine. There has been several studies done on whether the pouch stretches. The consensus is that it does not but we tend to get more comfortable eating more than we should. Listen to your stomach and stop when you are full, don't eat beyond that. Also watch for slider foods that make you hungry again too soon. This becomes important when the hunger hormones come back for us RNY folks. Slider foods for me are things like Soup, yogurt, pudding.....

There's alot of choices for protein at this stage. Greek yogurt, egg muffins, cottage cheese, hummus, chicken salad, tuna salad, cheese, chili, beans (make a Mexican dip), protein water (Trumino, Atkins Lift), soup (no pasta or rice), ground beef, ground turkey or chicken, salmon, fish, sugar free pudding with protein powder, etc. Experiment and see what you like. There's tons of recipes online (Pinterest). Increase your protein and fluids and the scale will move! Good luck!

style="margin:0;padding:0;background-color:#d8dde8;color:#5a5a5a;font:normal 13px helvetica, arial, sans-serif;position:relative;"> Hey BariatricPal Members! Happy Mother’s Day from BariatricPal! For everyone who is a mother or is a mother figure, thank you for all that you do! For everyone else, I hope you will take this opportunity to thank your mom and any other mother figure in your life. You moms out there do a lot for us! This newsletter is all about treating yourself, treating yourself, enjoying your family, and becoming healthier together. Here’s what you’ll find: A Mother’s Day Meal to Celebrate Be a Great Mother: Be Good to Yourself Time-Savers for a Healthy Family Have a great Mother’s Day, and enjoy the newsletter. Then spend some time with your family, and don’t forget to logon to BariatricPal and discuss family, recipes, and whatever else is on your mind. See you on the boards! Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder, BariatricPal Be a Great Mother: Be Good to Yourself Mothers often find themselves putting everyone else first. You might feel so busy you can’t squeeze in a quick workout. You might cook your family their favorite meals while you depend on nothing but canned tuna and hard-boiled eggs to stick to your WLS diet. You might skimp on sleep so you can take care of the house and get the kids ready for school. And the idea of losing yourself in a good book or spending a few hours at a day spa? Those may be distant dreams. Are You Putting Yourself Last? Too many mothers feel they need to put others first. After all, taking care of your children and maybe your spouse and parents is your job, right? Add that to possible duties of housekeeping and holding down a job, and your time and energy are easily accounted for. Weight loss surgery magnifies the problem. You may feel guilty about surgery, especially if it was expensive for your family. You may worry that WLS pulls you apart from your family, since you need to eat a new way and set aside time to prepare food and work out. You may fight the guilty feelings by trying to put everyone else’s needs and wants behind yours – and that just doesn’t work. The trouble is, you can only give so much for so long without taking care of yourself. You need to make the time to recharge regularly and to keep up with your own emotional and physical health habits. If not, sooner or later, you will not be able to give your best to the ones you love. You’re Not Selfish; You’re Smart What happens when you think about putting yourself first? What feelings come up when you think about making your own meals before you make your family’s, or going to the gym in the evening instead of coming directly home from work, or postponing the housecleaning so you can meditate? If you’re like many weight loss surgery patients, you may feel guilty. That’s not fair or productive. When you take care of yourself, you are in a better position to take care of others. You will be stronger, happier, and more cheerful when you are healthy. Take some time to identify what you would ideally do if you did not have family responsibilities: which foods would you eat, what kind of workouts would you do, and which hobbies or relaxation activities would you pursue? Then figure out which ones are necessary for your long-term stability and work them into your life – even if it means making some of them a priority over less important things. Really, it’s okay to skip the dusting for now if you need that time to plan a few healthy meals. Take Care, Mother or Not By the way, being good to yourself so you can be at your best is not just for moms. No matter who you are, you can give your best if you are at your best. You’ll be better father, friend, son or daughter, and coworker. You’re not being selfish when you take care of yourself. You’re putting yourself in a position to give your best to the world. A Mother’s Day Meal to Celebrate After weight loss surgery, holidays are about more than just food. You can focus on family and on other fun activities besides eating. But the truth is, you’re likely to end up around the table at some point if you’re celebrating Mother’s Day. Almost all family gatherings tend to revolve around food, so instead of fighting it, you might as well make the best of it. Mother’s Day Breakfast in Bed If your Mother’s Day includes a little pampering at home…lucky you! Fresh fruit salad, cottage cheese with raw veggies, and Greek yogurt pops with fruit are some of the easy and healthy options you might want to ask your little helpers to serve you. You can also enjoy breakfast in bed or a more luxurious brunch at home with the help of The BariatricPal Store. We suggest whipping up a batch of instant Protein Pancakes in chocolate chip, golden delicious, or blueberry flavors. Serve them plain or with fruit or Greek yogurt for yourself, and let your children make their own feasts with toppings such as whipped cream, syrup, peanut butter, and fruit. For an early morning or mid-morning treat while hanging out with your kids or spouse, everyone might enjoy a cup of hot cocoa or cappuccino – protein included! Mother’s Day Brunch Out Are you going out for Mother’s Day? Lucky you! While that buffet or 12-course menu may look like a disaster at first glance, there’s a good chance there are plenty of healthy choices for you. Look past the breakfast pastries such as muffins, danishes, and doughnuts, doughy options like bagels, pancakes, and waffles, and fatty options like bacon and breakfast sausage. Think that doesn’t leave you with much? Think again! Check for any of the following. Omelets and egg white omelets with add-ins such as vegetable and natural ham. Fresh fruit. Seasonal fresh vegetables. Simple protein items such as cottage cheese and yogurt. Smoked salmon. Freshly carved turkey breast. The rules of your weight loss surgery diet hold here, too. Keep portions small, eat slowly, and You’ll have even more to celebrate than Mother’s Day when you realize you just got through Mother’s Day brunch without losing control. A Time to Reflect and Be Grateful We know not everyone celebrates Mother’s Day or approaches this day in the same way. Still, that doesn’t mean you can’t take the time to reflect and be grateful. Any opportunity is a good one for realizing all that you have, even though life can get tough sometimes. You may be grateful for the opportunity weight loss surgery has given you to get healthy and have a new lease on life. Maybe you’re thankful for your family and friends who support you and make life worth living. Maybe you’re happy to have a job that puts (healthy) food on the table and a roof over your head. These things are simple and basic, but remembering to be grateful for them can truly make you appreciate them and be a happier person. So, have a wonderful Mother’s Day, and keep working towards those goals for weight loss and health! BariatricPal is there for you at every step of the way, so we hope you will keep contributing to the forums. Thanks for all of your support!

Hi! Welcome to the forums! How much weight you will lose in the first week(s) of liquid diet really depends on many things. Did you lose alot of weight already before starting liquids? Are you "full" liquids, or "only" liquids ("full" liquids includes soups, some cereals, yogurts, etc...). Is your starting weight on the high or low side? Are you on your period? Salt-intake? These and so many other factors will affect your weight/water weight loss that first week(s). My pre-op diet was for two weeks and consisted on 3 protein shakes a day (though sometimes I only had 2). Total calories per day for those two weeks were between 450-675 (each protein shake was 225 cals). I lost 8 lbs the first week, then 3 lbs the second. I started at 235, and had not lost any weight prior to starting the 2 week pre-op diet.

Bandista, I had not known about the squeezes sending signals from the esophagus but keep in mind it is not as though I am eating yogurt and boost drinks all day. I usually have three yogurts a day and two boost drinks. With that amount of calories I cannot get my head around the fact that my weight is not going down any longer. People that are stuck in hospital beds that do NO form of exercise whatsoever still seem to lose weight. This entire situation has been a complete and absolute curse for me and the frustration level is through the roof. Not to mention all the isolation that I am forced to live with because it is difficult and painful to get around with the cane. At 330 I am a big guy and I can't tell you how many times I have taken falls and near falls. Everything I do is a struggle so leaving the Apt. is saved for doctor and dentist visits. I know that something must be done..........

Thanks, everyone! Like I said, I met the Protein requirements during the liquid stage, but not since they scaled back the number of shakes for the pureed stage. I don't think it can be good for my body. I will try it for a few days to see how I feel. I don't want my body to start cannibalizing my muscles! I do have Greek yogurt. Last night I felt guilty about having an "extra" meal so grabbed the first "allowable" protein I saw.

It's not a lot in comparison to what I'm used to eating. I have eaten a lot of Greek yogurt. Grilled chicken. Veggies. Trying to get protein and eat mostly healthy. Like I said I don't know if it's a mind game I'm playing with myself just knowing I can't have what I want and making me feel hungry.

I have trouble with shakes as well. While I don't do bars regularly, the best Protein bars are probably Quest bars, they have the most protein/fiber and very little actual sugar, although they do have sugar alcohols. You can order these online or get them from GNC or the Vitamin Shoppe. My favorite is the double chocolate chunk which is their lowest calorie bar as far as I remember. All of their bars are good and range in calories from 160 - 200. I like: S'Mores Apple Pie Double Chocolate Chunk Peanut Butter and Jelly The Cookies & cream (oreo) one is good as well but I get tired of it easily. Everyone else loves the cookie dough flavor and it is pretty good but not my favorite! The new mint chocolate one tastes like eating a stick of gum to me, so definitely not loving it! If you don't like milk-based or milkshake type shakes you might try Syntrax nectars protein powder. They have some fruit flavors (fuzzy navel, caribbean cooler) that you can mix with Water to make a juice-like drink or stir into some greek yogurt! They also have a Cappuccino flavor that I have yet to try. One thing I really have liked that I tried recently was mixing some of my pre-made shakes (Premier Protein vanilla) into any flavor of fat free, sugar free instant pudding mix (2 cups of the shakes, and one small package of pudding mix, pistachio is a fav!). So you have your own protein pudding. You could portion the mixture into individual size containers that way you could take them on the go!

It's going to be okay. Your nut and dr give rules regarding when to eat certain types of foods because your insides are healing. You made a mistake, now go back to what you were eating. Have you tried yogurt or cottage cheese?

It definitely could be the fat content or eating too fast. During this time you're still healing so you have to remember to take it easy, eat slow. I would get sick as well. Eat jell-o, broths, clear stuff for now and then revisit the creamy stuff like yogurt and cream soups. Eat sugar free Popsicles those will help with dehydration. Some days it was all I could keep down. If it doesn't get better by next week, I would contact your doctor.

I too have Celiac. I really like the Think Thin Protein bars. There are some delicious and soft ones at GNC too. (Think Thin is an organic product. I got hooked on them at my local health food store, but I recently found them in the health food section of my grocery store too.) I am not sleeved yet, but plan to eat all the recommended foods. Obviously it is necessary to stay away from those ultra-processed, ultra high carb foods that are out there now--no breads, crackers, cereals, pretzels, etc. How can we not lose weight when we break free from those? cottage cheese, yogurt, string cheese, low-fat Cabot cheddar, apple sauce, Protein shakes, and eventually protein bars and nuts will be some of my snack choices