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at the beginning - tuna with a small amount of yogurt worked well for me (plus lots of protein). I added some herbs like Dill too. Other go to "real food" for me was rolled up sliced turkey (or any sandwich meat) with string cheese. This went down well too. Finally - try yogurt with soft fruit like kiwi or melon. If you use Fage it has the highest Protein. good luck !

I'm one of those who experiences hunger...all the time..It usually hits me within 2 hours after eating. I've been on Pepcid since day one, even tried switching to Prilosec and went back to the Pepcid. I still have hope that it will get better after the 3 mos mark (next week). I feel like I'm eating constantly which is what I was hoping the sleeve would eliminate, so pretty bummed about it. It did get somewhat better when I removed some of the carbs I was eating (banana, yogurt). I know it's not head hunger. I just thought this was going to be a little easier, but it still takes a lot of discipline, planning, willpower and exercise to keep losing.

Hey Ms. Lady, We were sleeved the same day and I'm not allowed whole chicken yet. I'm on purees only. Here's my typical day: start the day with greek yogurt with torani SF peach syrup then I'll have some kind of soup (I look for soup with higher Protein so it usually has some meat or Beans in it) I'll do a 1/2 C of Protein shake (unjury protein mixed with 1% milk and a Tarani SF syrup)- some days I'll do 2 of these then I'll do refried beans, or another soup or mac and cheese or scrambled eggs. As a treat I do Jell-o SF pudding cup. Everything I eat is pureed in the blender, I have stopped straining this week and I hope to move to lunchmeats next week. I'm tolerating everything very well. If you have vomiting, you may want to go to purees, it seems to work well for me. I have noticed this week though, I'm sick of purees and I'm looking for more foods that are naturally pureed, like the refried beans or mashed potatoes (I haven't done mashed pot but they are sounding good right now!) Good luck! I think if you scale it back a little you will be fine.

Started my liquid diet today - I am miserable. I work 9 hour shifts on my feet 5 days a week, and after today, I am light headed and completely impatient. Makes me wonder how many people in customer service who are cranky and just annoyed and short with everyone are on this damn diet!! I've had Water all day, 3 Protein shakes - each of different variety, and 3 yogurts - also different brands. At a total of 780 calories, I feel I have eaten far from enough, and I feel sick to my stomach. I'm re-tasting the shakes, and just totally turned off of everything. How am I going to get the protein and calories I need, by also feeling full and not like I'm starving myself all day? If I stick to the Protein Shakes and yogurt, I'm gonna hate them really soon. Help!!! Feeling weak physically and mentally.

If you look under food and nutrition, and then look under recipe sharing there are sections for each phase, which is where I got some ideas. I'm almost done with this phase, and I've been eating a lot of Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, and laughing cow cheese. I can tolerate scrambled eggs, so that has been good. My favorite dinner is to mix refried Beans with tortilla soup broth and a little bit of cheese. Other people purée chicken or other lean meats. Or some people purée creamy soups, but those don't settle well for me. Other options are cream of wheat or grits or mashed potatoes, but you'll want to watch the carbs.

I get the sugar free creamsicles, fudgesicles, or fruitsicles from Aldis or Krogers....ususally 15-35 calories. When I need something creamier, I go for Greek Yogurt with a little vanilla and sweetener. Also, 1/2 banana frozen on a popsicle stick or put through the processsor with a little yogurt hits the spot.

Went to the seminar on the 18th. I have my first appointment to see the nutritionist on the 27th. So i started on Thursday eating different. Discipline my self now. This way when i get the surgery it does not shock my body nor brain. So i have cut my portions, counting those calories, forcing myself to eat veggies and yogurt. Veggies n yogurt i dont like but ive been looking up recipes. Found some good ones on how to cook veggies where i may like them. Im going to join the Y.M.C.A in sept. I am a local truck driver. Only home on the weekends. The Y at them moment till sept,is only open on saterday. Sept they start oping on sundays too. Also been really reading up on the lap-band®®®. Doing my homework. Seems a long ways away for the surgery. Im not very patient but i have to be. I have no choice. The main person that is helping me with eating right is God. With out Him i could not do this. I have no well power but the good Lord is right here with me helping me with my cravings. Praise you Lord and Thank You

Hope everyone is having a great weekend and a wonderful relaxing Sunday. The day is beautiful here in SC, sun is shinning but it is still a little cool for the south. I don't know about everyone else but I can't wait until spring. I have so much more energy and motivation when it is warm outside. I find the winter months to be a little depressing and I do not feel as motivated to be outside and exercise. I am proud that I have went back to curves a week ago and have met my goal of going on Saturday mornings, and Tuesday and Thursday evenings after work. I need to set a new goal this week of at least doing 30 minutes of exercise daily of at least walking or something. I need my tread mill moved so I can use it, my son moved in late last year and it is in his room and a little hard to use. My husband says he has to take it apart to get it out of the room and has not done that yet. First thing that ticks me off lately. I go back to see my surgeon next week one , I had my last fill on Jan 30th and I am still struggling with solid foods most days, I do eat but it is usually late in the afternoons and evenings, I am getting all my protein in but with supplements. I keep thinking the band will loosen up a little and some days it seems to and others like yesterday, I just gave up and ate Greek yogurt and drank protein. I am still holding at 160 lbs, so at least I have slowed down on losing for a while. On the 30th I was at 175 which was up 5 lbs from before Christmas. I did find something good to eat this weekend, we ordered take out from the local Chinese restaurant and I ate a tofu stir fry, it was yummy and the tofu was silky soft and slide right down. I was only able to eat about 1/2 cup but it was yummy. I went out today and purchased a fit bit and tied it to my fitness pal account so I could track my activity and calories burned. I will let everyone know how that works out. I have been a little lazy lately and feeling a little frustrated with food and eating in general. I haven't felt this way in a long time but it is just so frustrating when one day things go down with out problems and they same things don't the next day. Welcome to bandster hell, I guess. The last thing that ticks me off today is people who use this site to promote sales of products. I was reviewing the forums and blogs this morning and found a blog that someone had started yesterday, she said she was 2 years out from lap band and had lost 150 lbs but was promoting a protein drink diet to get back on track. I thought to my self, every lap band patient knows that gimmicks don't work, diets don't work and getting the lap band has to be about changing your life and behaviors. Not sure why it pissed me off but it did, I feel we all work so hard on trying to live with lap band and trying to change out lives and live like others and the last thing I needed was someone telling me I could lose weight with lap band drinking yummy protein shakes. SERIOUSLY! I drink the damn shakes because nothing else goes down some days and this is not how I intend to lose my last pounds. I want to eat, enjoy my food portion. So shame on you if you are a lap band patient for encouraging us to drink protein to lose weight instead of change our behaviors and learn to live with lap band. I know we all have the freedom to post and believe what ever we want but SERIOUSLY give me a break. Ok, I feel better now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The premade shakes worked best for me to insure the Protein. I used Atkins, Nutrilife and Premier. The Premier has 30 protein compared to 15 for the other two. I liked the chocolate flavor in all three. They are 11 oz and it would take me about 2 hours to drink it. In the beginning, I sometimes had two of those a day. I filled it around that with potato Soup, mashed potatoes, cottage cheese, yogurt, SF chocolate pudding (LOL). I was fortunate that I was able to go from clears to full to mushy by the end of the first week, and felt great. Be cautious, use common sense and do what makes your stomach and you feel the best. Good Luck!!

Hey everyone!! I’m 6 months post op this 23rd and have lost 107 lbs since surgery! I’m ecstatic for my progress so far and need to lose about 40 more to be at my goal weight (fingers crossed). But lately I’ve been seeing myself being able to eat more that usual. I’ve went from 2-3 ounces to eat 4-5 ounces of food. Most of the time it consists of a good diet such as chicken salads or eggs, sausage , yogurt fruit and etc and I do keep up with my fluids. I just want to know if it’s normal to be eating this amount at 6 months post op? Also I don’t eat any carbs if it isn’t a pretzel here and there. I just want to be consistent and I’m scared that I maybe eating too much and my pouch has stretched !!! Any advice is appreciated Here’s a before and after pic!!!

Hello I'm 3 weeks out and I'm wondering what are some food restrictions down the line. Of course this is a lifestyle change but just wondering will ever be able to eat a potato chip or frozen yogurt. Wondering if anyone who has has the sleeve has experienced dumping?

Saraincincy ~ Dr. R. Walker Byars in Oxford, MS did my surgery. Everything has been super easy with recovery. That's why I was concerned about the liquids going through so easy, maybe too easy! I'm only allowed to have clear liquids and Protein shakes for two weeks. Then I get what I think is referred to as full liquids for two week: creamy soups, puddings, yogurts, etc.

I haven't tried it, but it seems like it should work because it's basically cutting out most carbs (except in the yogurt and beans) and consuming Protein and drinking lots of water/fluids to help flush things out. When it says "must have 45 grams of protein supplements" does it mean in addition to the 3 oz/5 times a day thing?

you can eat deli meats like turkey and chicken breast, low sodium ham, american and munster cheese. Mashed potatoes, soup, pudding, yogurt, ricotta, cottage cheese.

You say that you are good in the am and the afternoon...Take a look at when you are hungry in the eveing, is it when you are sitting down to watch tv, is this a time you would normally munch and munch? A big one for me was bordom or stress eating simply because I could. I realized most of the time I wasn't really hungry but had the munchies from years of habit. There are time you can be honestly hungry though (I know I do get that way) to test if I am munchie hungry or in need of sustinance I drink a bunch of Water if that doesn't do it then I am hungry and I have a small treat/meal like a yogurt, a really yummy chocolate protien shake, or 1/2 of one of my favorite Protein bars etc. Also, if you are genuinely getting hungry quicker on some nights and not others look at what you ate, I know some foods go through me quicker and I crash if I inadvertanly ate too much carbs. There is so much to learn it is amazing! And by the way....AWESOME on the 22lbs lost!!! :thumbs_up: If you keep up that pace you could be down over 100lbs by your bandaversary! Keep up the great work!

I am on different foods daily I add something new today is sweet potatoes and oatmeal. I also can have sugar free puddings apple sauce and low fat yogurt mashed potatoes and soft cooked veggies and I am one week and one day post op (obviously was banded the 26th) lol I have found on this forum that every doctor and post and also pre op diets are different DRASTICALLY different good luck

I just had my surgery on Feb 28th, this past monday and I had the same concern. I will tell you that after surgery you aren't in the mood to eat. Today I am 4 days out and I can tell I am healing fast. My doctor only required me to be on liquids the day of surgery and then move to a puree diet. I have been able to eat ham salad, egg salad, yogurt, soup, etc. The amazing thing is that after 1/2 cup to a cup you are full and satisfied. You still have yourold head playing tricks on you and wanting you to eat more so I suggest you measure your food and keep it at a 1/2 cup total at a sitting or it will not be comfortable!! So far I have been able to stay satisfied and not feel hungrey all the time. You have to make smart choices and it is hard in the puree stage because you can't eat a normal healthy diet. It is wonderful I must say and congrats on your up coming banding!! Time to start feeling good again!

Lets start with yesterday, I went to Houston with the girls to get parts for Bret. We hit traffic coming and going, so we spent a lot of time in the car. We ate at my favorite place, Panara Bread. I am pretty proud of myself, I had clam chowder. About a cup of it with no bread. But I was not thinking and when I did my drink I forgot about the straw. So I was sore from sitting in the car for so long and gassy from the straw. Not a good mix. I actually went home and took some gas-x and some pain meds I was so miserable. Now I wake up this morning and I was hungry. So I went and got me some yogurt and ate that slowly. Plus I'm drinking my water and IDK if its the water or if it was the yogurt, but I feel nauseated. Maybe I need to get up and move around, that might make my stomach settle down. Who knows. I am just tired of the dizzy feeling that keeps coming and going. I have always hated feeling light headed, and this is not cutting it. I think I am going to go get me some chewable multivitamins. I originally had a liquid multivitamin, and it was very very NASTY and strong. Just the smell made me feel ill, and that was before the surgery. I could not imagine trying to take it after. I also have to start getting ready for Fathers Day tomorrow. I'm not sure what I am going to get DH, but I have a general idea. He wants a BBQ, and I'm not looking forward to that, I'm trying to think of things I could actually eat. lol Since I am still on the stage 2 liquids I am thinking SOUP....sigh. Right now I think I would kill someone for some fish. Just some baked fish, I literally dreamed about it last night!! But Next week makes week 2 and I can go to smooshies. So I am looking forward to some potatoes, or some eggs! Hope everyone has a great day! And to all you awesome dad's, HAPPY FATHERS DAY!!

I've never worried about calcium. I get plenty of calcium through food (yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese, etc)

Thanks a lot I was just getting tired of yogurts

I need to jump on this thread. Because I was going to post something about being lactose intolerant. I am. So for a very long time (years), I have not been able to tolerate milk products. I actually use Rice milk instead of Almond because it has no flavor for cooking etc. I can tolerate MUSCLE MILK. The Pro ones seem to bloat me, but the regular Muscle Milk is fine with me and I actually really really like it. I love the Vanilla Cream. That has 130 cals, 0 sugar and 20 grams protein per premixed shake box. Muscle Milk has whey isolate protein. Which is more easily tolerated if you have lactose issues. I'm lucky that I can tolerate it. So try that maybe? I have also tried pea protein, hemp etc. for years. Sometimes I just gag them down. Till I found one that I really like but wonder if the protein, because it's all plant based, is as useful as the whey. I use powdered RAW FIT by Garden of Life. Vegan, dairy free, gluten free, soy free. One scoop has 160 cals, 1 sugar, 28 grams protein. My typical breakfast for so many years has been 2% greek yogurt (I can tolerate Fage greek yogurt) with a scoop of Marley Coffee flavor Raw Fit (YUM YUM!). I mix the powdered raw fit with just a couple tablespoons of water then add the greek yogurt. Otherwise you really have a hard time stirring it, so thick! I don't mind the bit of gritty left, actually. I imagine if you left the raw fit to sit mixed a bit, the gritty may go away. I never tried it though. The greek yogurt and scoop raw fit is a whopping 48 grams protein. YES it's too much to eat at once when I am sleeved. but even half is 24 grams. Good for soft stage, puree stage. BUT......is the plant and seed based protein as beneficial for your body after sleeve as the whey or whey isolate is? I understand totally the need for protein. I have had hair loss for 3 years due to menopause and Estrogen Dominance. I need my protein to work for me to try to mitigate the effects of WLS on my body and slim head of hair! Was wondering if anyone knows the answer about the whey vs plant based. Thanks so much!!!

Thank you both so much! I'm relying on the Greek yogurt and the broth. I feel I need a more concentrated source though. LOVE the idea of the Lifeway Protein Kefir. I love kefir! Drinking some today. But the protein version doesn't come without sugary ingredients and fruits. I just want plain. maybe I should replace all my water with broth and watery yogurt or milk. i can't imagine blended tuna. I did try other protein powders. Ugh. Bought plain and vanilla Paleo Pro beef and egg protein powder, couldn't choke it down. Same with pea and hemp. Nope. our nutritionist said whey protein would be for our whole lives to get enough concentrated protein in once a day. sigh. Thanks so much.

I am a couple months post op and find myself snacking again. My doctor still makes me get at least 60-90 grams of liquid Protein a day so I really try to sip protein all day long. It's hard but I really try. I find that I snack most at night, especially if it's late night in front of the TV and I KNOW it's from boredom and bad habits. Here are some of my snacking foods (I am trying to cut down), 1. Liquid Protein first to see if that takes away the craving - I use Profect Protein Bullets (Blue Raspberry) with Cherry/Pomegranate Crystal Light, or Syntax nectar Fuzzy Navel Protein powder, or Unjury's chocolate Protein Powder 2. Fage Greek Yogurt with Honey 2. Jif Peanut Butter to go cups 3. costco Humms w Skinny Pretzel sticks (only 5) May

Thank you ladies for all your wonderful tips. Last night after 7 I started to feel like I needed to eat something so I sat there for a few minutes to try to identify weather I was really hungry or if it was just in my head. I only had about 600 calories at this point because I was on liquids yesterday since I had my first fill yesterday morning. Well needless to say I felt like it was real hunger so I had a greek yogurt and that seemed to work well for me. My doctor told me to that she would like me to drink less of the Protein drinks and more of the solid protein but I'm thinking if a Protein Drink is what helps me in the evening and stops me from snacking that that would be best. Oh my ladies, I wish I knew what it felt like to not think of food so much :-(

I work in a bank and sometimes we are so busy I either can't drink or forget to drink. Then at lunch time I can't drink w/food. I try to make up for it by drinking in the morning before work. I drink a bottle when I get up, then my Protein shake, then I drink on the ride to work. Then I challenge myself to drink a whole bottle of Water on my ride home (20 minutes). In the evening I drink more and sometimes I add another Protein Shake if I need more protein. If you find a ready made protein shake that you like you can use them at work - it's a great way to get protein and liquid at the same time. Chobani little champions Greek yogurt is good for work too. They're a smaller size so you can eat one fairly quickly. The same with Think Thin Bites (small Protein Bars - about half-size). I carry the bars in my purse. When your able to, try Ostrim beef and Ostrich meat sticks. They're tasty, portable, and have 14gr of protein - another purse staple. I like Cracker Barrel individually wrapped cheese Snacks too. I also carry an insulated lunch bag with a cold pack everywhere I go. I have a good routine down for my Vitamins but I find taking my Calcium more of a problem because I can't take it near my multi or my thyroid med. I keep some in my lunch bag and some in my purse so I can take it whenever I think of it. With time you'll figure out a routine that works for you and a back-up plan for your busier days. Good luck to you!