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I got the Deluxe because (1) it has bigger containers (24 ounces for the Deluxe vs. 16 ounces for the other models) and (2) it has more programs than the other models. To be honest, I don't fully understand the difference between programs, and I'm not 100% convinced it matters (e.g., what's the difference between light ice cream and frozen yogurt programs?), but it's nice to have options. I like the bigger containers because it allows more flexibility in what recipes I can make, and I usually eat half and re-freeze the other half for later. A few pro tips: Buy extra containers. You have to freeze the mixture for 12-24 hours, so you'll want to be able to make it in advance so you don't have to wait until you consume one to freeze the next one. The machine only comes with two containers (unless you find a deal that includes extra containers), and I bought 4 more for a total of 6. My extras are not Ninja brand but they are the same shape and size to work with the machine, at half the price of the Ninja brand. Re-spin! No matter what program you use, your ice cream will probably come out looking like powder and you'll think something is wrong. Put it back in the machine and re-spin at least once, sometimes two or three times. Some people say to add liquid before re-spinning, but I recommend NOT to do that, because as it sits at room temperature during the re-spins, it will start to melt into its own liquid, so if you add more liquid, it will get too soft. Also, this is kind of confusing, but if you save some for later, you have to re-freeze it in the container and then creamify it using the applicable program (e.g., light ice cream, sorbet, frozen yogurt, etc.), NOT re-spin. In other words, never use the re-spin button when it's frozen solid. You'll probably need to add sweetener and/or flavor. When people are dissatisfied with recipes, I suspect that it's usually because of insufficient sweetness. YMMV, but I like things super sweet, so I always add sugar-free sweetener (erythritol and/or Splenda) and lots of it. People say that freezing and creamifying it makes it taste less sweet, so when you taste the liquid before freezing it, you'll probably want it to be on the verge of too sweet. Same goes for flavor -- it tastes weaker after freezing and creamifying. There are some great flavorings available that can really enhance your creations. Lorann, One on One Flavors, and Bakto flavorings are available on Amazon and offer a ton of variety. McCormick cake batter extract is also a delicious addition to vanilla bases and is available at most grocery stores.

Today (January 16th) is my birthday. 🥳 This year I opted out of the birthday dinner’s I’m usually taken to by friends and family. I am 40 days post op and while I am now in the “eat whatever I can phase” ofc I’m following the low carb / high protein / no sugar diet I’m advised to follow by my bariatric nutritionist. So for my birthday this year, I didn’t want to go to a restaurant knowing I can’t eat too much food right now + I didn’t want to be tempted by restaurant foods. But I did want to know if anyone else had surgery close to their birthday like me and if so, did you allow yourself a birthday treat? Like a cupcake 🧁? I haven’t had sugar (other than my protein shakes and yogurts) since late November so idk how it will affect my stomach either but I was thinking of just getting a little birthday cupcake 🧁 for myself tomorrow. I’d love to hear others input or experience. Thanks! ☺️

Homemade mix of sweet and sour and general tso’s chicken but with vegan nuggets (on clearance for $1.59 a bag!) with rice. Yogurt gummy snacks I bought my kid but they say they hate them now so I’m eating them. Chopped salad with crispy corn tortillas- pinto beans, tomatoes, onions, bell pepper, jalapeño, tajin, cumin, and lime juice

Today is 11 days post op and I’ve had serious cravings over the past two days. I started having a protein shake again which also helps the leg and foot cramps, then added a 4th meal a day. I also had a cup of broth in case I just needed salt. Yesterday it got so bad and I realized that I’ve been eating only yogurt and puréed cottage cheese so I got some smoked salmon and ate one ounce of it, that has set me back to rights again. Woke up feeling so much better this morning. It’s been an adventure, we live in the Midwest and lost power Friday evening, we’ve been in a hotel since Saturday. I brought my scale and a small container so I could portion out yogurt or cottage cheese but didn’t have any meat or fish. i don’t really feel hungry in my belly anymore, just a vague feeling of alarm that I need something. Most of the time I can just reassure myself but yesterday I knew it was hunger and that I needed something more substantial. The smoked salmon is very soft and I chewed it for forever, and I loved every moment of it🙂. (Note: I’ve been on purées since the day after surgery, tomorrow is my 2 week post op appointment, and I would have blitzed the salmon but I’m just making do the best I can with the snowy adventures. I also ate scrambled egg at Denny’s, I measured out 2 ounces and just fork squished the heck out of it and that went well too.)

If you are in the US, look for the brand two good yogurt- it is amazing yogurt, I eat half a container with a spoonful of peanut butter (Im in maintenance) for my breakfast some days— its delicious an very low sugar (2g in a container).

Agreeing with the others, stick with the plan. The first couple months you definitely do not want to put pressure on those staples and risk a leak. That's a rough surgery compared to what you just had. Infections from that can get nasty and lead to sepsis. I struggled with overdoing it myself early on, but had to remind myself that its to prevent burst staples, and that I can give it 30-60 minutes and resume eating to give it room. I've noticed I can do 8 fl oz easily if I'm not careful before my stomach starts pushing back. As for the hunger, I'm one of the unlucky few that still has the obsessive head-hunger. It takes practice, but look for signs that your stomach and body are telling you that you are full, despite part of you saying "I have to keep eating!" It took a lifetime to train that reflex, and it won't go away overnight. I'm still fighting mine daily. I've noticed I'll feel a little pressure if I'm approaching the limit, but if I keep going, I start to get a runny nose, which is my final warning before making myself sick. My goal is to prevent it from getting to that point. One thing I did to throttle my eating speed is to get disposable mini / baby spoons and forks from amazon. They're only like 1/4 of a teaspoon so you get a smaller portion per bite, which helped me a lot! It takes longer to eat, which gives your stomach more time to send the full response to the rest of your body, since that is delayed. I've had to use the disposable ones since its mentally easier for me to walk away from the food if I throw the little cheap spoon in the trash. I'd rather use the reusable ones, but I know the limits on my discipline haha. This is just anecdotal, but as a recovering Type 2 diabetic, I have to be careful with sugar and starch hidden in foods. I've eaten some over the holidays, which tasted great, but realized it made me crave more. If I went a meal without it, I would get actually angry, and I'm sure I wasn't any fun to be around. Eating desserts over Christmas would send me into constant snack cravings for 2-3 days. I told my doctor, and he said you have to power through those couple of days, but by focussing on low carb (not necessarily keto) and prioritize protein, unsaturated fats and water, those cravings go way down. I've had to use "filler foods" to hold me over between meals. My wife says its gross, but I've been eating Fage plain greek yogurt to hold me over. Single Digit carbs and 17g of Protein per serving and its more savory rather than sweet. Mentally, I've used it as a substitute for cheese, mayo, sour cream, and other things to just pretend that its a more substantial food. That and it does seem to fill me up as long as I don't have anything sweet with it. Similar with 2% fat cottage cheese. Also, some artificial sweeteners can set off a sugar craving or insulin response, which just compounds the cravings. I'm not sure which ones do, but I know the ones in the Fairlife brand protein shakes do not set it off for me, while MuscleMilk does make me crave it. Fairlife has Monk Fruit, Stevia, and Sucralose, and don't seem to set that off for me. You may want to experiment to see which ones may bother you.

Yeah it should be fine, just keep the sugar low. As long as you're hitting your daily water and protein goals, and the sugar amount is in single digits per serving, you should be fine. I've been eating Fage plain greek yogurt as my snack since it has 17g of Protein and very low carbs. I love the 5% milkfat version but the saturated fat is a tad high. I know I should have the 0% but I don't like the flavor. 2% has been my compromise.

yep - the others are correct. It's the added sugar that they want you to avoid (or really limit). Most of the sugar in yogurt (unless it's got added sugar in it because of the flavorings) is lactose, which is naturally occurring in milk. I eat yogurt every day and have since my surgery nine years ago. I eat very little meat, so having Greek yogurt for breakfast starts my day off with a good amount of protein.

A certain amount of sugar is usually fine, especially the natural sugar found in dairy or applesauce. Added sugar is going to be where your doctor will probably have strict limits, and things may change as you get further out from surgery. Chobani complete drinkable yogurt has no added sugar, so that's a good sign, even if the overall sugar is 11 grams. But you'll want to talk to your practice about how many you can have and when they're okay. If you haven't yet, you should soon receive a booklet from your dietician with all the rules they want you to follow, and yes, they will be different from rules other people get at other practices, even if they are getting the same surgery! My rules include finding protein supplements with less than 5 grams sugar, at least 20 grams protein, and 160-200 calories per serving. But that 5 gram limit is specific to the protein shakes, not to all foods or meals. I can also have Greek or light yogurt, and I happen to know plain Greek yogurt has 7 grams sugar naturally. One of those little snack cups of unsweetened applesauce has 11 grams of sugar (again, naturally occurring). So, I think the Chobani complete drink would probably be approved for me, although I'm fairly sure I would be told to limit myself to a certain amount per day and not use them interchangeably with protein supplements, which generally have way lower sugar.

So I was reading that we are not supposed to have sugar after surgery. Are they talking pastries and stuff cause I drink the chobani complete yogurts. Are those okay? They have a like 20g of protein and they taste so good

So my 2oz food containers are tuna fish with light mayo, then I add a splash of pickle juice to it for flavor. I also whipped up some Jell-O Sugar free Chocolate Fudge pudding, with 2 cups of Fairlife (extra protein, lactose free) skim milk and a scoop of Isopure protein powder. I've also mixed tuna with cottage cheese, and salmon with light cream cheese. Today I pureed ground turkey with some broth, ate it with taco bell mild sauce. Seems to be doing just fine in my belly. Oh, and Chobani Zero Greek Yogurt, the flavors are great, very low calories, lots of protein and goes down so nicely. I do feel cra**y some too, just keep trying to keep moving. Mainly I've had a lot of gas pain and cramping, moving really helps that. Yesterday when I made breakfast I had my family finish it, I got tired and wanted to just sit and eat.

So my 2oz food containers are tuna fish with light mayo, then I add a splash of pickle juice to it for flavor. I also whipped up some Jell-O Sugar free Chocolate Fudge pudding, with 2 cups of Fairlife (extra protein, lactose free) skim milk and a scoop of Isopure protein powder. I've also mixed tuna with cottage cheese, and salmon with light cream cheese. Today I pureed ground turkey with some broth, ate it with taco bell mild sauce. Seems to be doing just fine in my belly. Oh, and Chobani Zero Greek Yogurt, the flavors are great, very low calories, lots of protein and goes down so nicely. I do feel cra**y some too, just keep trying to keep moving. Mainly I've had a lot of gas pain and cramping, moving really helps that. Yesterday when I made breakfast I had my family finish it, I got tired and wanted to just sit and eat.

Take your time, listen to your body. Dont compare your process to anyone else’s. I waa struggling to drink and swallow and I was frustrated and miserable! But i spoke to my sister whos 17 months post op and she said for me to try to be more self aware with my sipping I admitted to gulping lol and being frustrated by it. But once I calmed down, gave my body time. Im able to chew and drink better. But, if i estimate my food intake at a time its prob like. 3oz at a time. Like last night I went out ordered a lamb cut the meat super super small made sure I chewed at least 20 times per bite. I accomplished to eat the tip of one lamb which was very tiny lol but I was satisfied. My point is listen to your body, trust the process. A few tablespoons might be what your body is fine with for now as long as you are satisfied thats all that matters. Another example when I eat yogurt I can only have 2oz at a time. Im 3 weeks post op on soft food diet. Hopefully I helped u a bit and didn’t just rant lol. Sending you good vibes

Day 4 post op: Able to drink fluids, it's uncomfortable if I go too fast, as I knew, however I now know how fast is too fast for me. I'm walking on the treadmill fairly easily, slow pace, no incline, limited to 15 min at a time. I walked 5 times yesterday, only once so far today and only 5 min according to how I feel. I'm able to eat up to 2 oz at a time, so far I've had Chobani Zero nonfat greek yogurt, tuna pureed with light mayo with pickle juice, and a sugar free pudding mixed with protein powder. All of it has gone fairly well. I haven't vomited, very little nausea, and every day I'm more awake and thinking more clearly. My only issue so far has been a sketchy bladder. I guess of all things that could happen, it's pretty benign, but I had to have a catheter placed to allow my bladder to rest from being stretched too much. I think all the angry innards caused some shifting. In all likelihood it's just a temporary thing that will resolve when some of the swelling goes down. I have some nerve damage from many years ago so it isn't as far out of left field as it could be.

What does your pre-op diet look like? Mine will be 2 weeks of full liquid, so basically protein shakes, water or sugar free flavored water, decaf coffee and tea, sugar free jello and pudding, sugar free popsicles, broth, skim milk, Greek yogurt, unsweetened applesauce, and cream of tomato soup. I think she said up to 5 shakes per day but I need to clarify at my final dietician appointment on Feb 1. Not gonna lie, I am not looking forward to this part. My previous clinic only did a 2-day liquid diet. But I can survive!

As long as the higher fat in the cheese doesn't make you feel sick, I would personally rather have a small piece of real cheese than a bigger piece of low-fat or fat-free "cheese". I can handle low-fat or fat-free milk, cottage cheese, yogurt, etc. But cheese is sacred. There's a traditional cheese factory in Vermont, about 2 hours from where I live, with the most amazing cheese I have ever tasted. Right now, I can probably eat a pound of it all on my own over the course of a weekend. I shouldn't. I know this. But I could, so I don't buy it. But after surgery, I think I will. Who cares if it costs $35 a pound if I can only eat maybe an ounce? Go to a local cheesemaker if you have one and buy a really small amount of the most insanely expensive, insanely delicious cheese you can find. That's my advice. If it comes wrapped in plastic, don't bother. You can do better.

I havent been eating bad things like my husband made a 16 hour smoked pork roast i had three pinches of the meat, I have been doing yogurt and soup i did oatmeal mixed with my protein shake once also. I cant do more than 2/3 onces of food at a time… mostly im doing soup and yogurt now though. Its not really unhealthy food but I had gotten confused with the diet and started the soft foods one week earlier the doctor didnt seemed worried though. It just was messing up my head thinking im off track. Im down 16 lbs so that’s got to be okay. Thank you for the peanut butter advice i love fit pb I’ll probably go buy powder protein shakes and start making them instead also I dont do dairy so maybe that’s another factor.

Girl you and me both my hunger isn’t really there more than my thoughts of wanting to eat food to feel normal again. Its been emotional for me and bc of my sampling food it makes me feel more down. It’s frustrating not being able to drink water or pretty much anything my water/ fluid intake is so low. Im soooo over these protein shakes i bought and the thought of them now has me wanting to gag lol. I’m not reallt taking in any protein shakes and just doing soups but can only do 2/3 ounces at a time. I can do yogurt i had half a cup for lunch and a few tablespoons of tomato soup for dinner. Feel free to message me anytime my surgery date was 12/18 im happy i got the surgery but definitely want to feel normal again. I’m being patient but if i could have at least be able to drink water it would be easier. i had a hiatal hernia and its been so hard to drink is anyone else feeling that feeling? Then when i do drink its like im swallowing air 😫😩😫

I use bariatrix and I’m tracking everything. I am at about 500-600. I have protein shakes, jello, and popsicles. I am making my shakes with 1% milk and some I am mixing in powdered PB or nonfat Greek yogurt or Keifer I am 6 days out of surgery

I, too, was mostly eating things like soup and yogurt then...and other soft-ish things. I was "allowed" to eat most solid foods by then (except for raw vegetables - that took a few more months), but I still found some solid things difficult to eat. I also wasn't eating very much by then - maybe 600-800 kcal/day. I ate mostly protein and (cooked or soft) produce. I didn't eat breads, rice, pasta, or treats like cake until I was over a year out. I probably COULD have, but I didn't - some of it just bothered me. Others I just didn't want to eat at the time because I didn't want to go down that road that early.

I dont know what weight you are so its really guess work. I did a 3 week pre op diet and with 2 months post surgery weight loss, I dropped 40 pounds. If you do the same and bought your outfit, maybe your clothes would not fit. I really had a struggle with food after surgery. At 2 months I was just about getting the hang of it. I would not have eaten regular food. Soup, milk, yogurts and cheese were my staples at that time. If I had to go to a function I would pack myself a emergency pack, just in case. I had massive drops in energy and needed lots of little meals to pick me up. I still carry protein bars and a drink.

I actually had made a pumpkin soup when I was wrong about being able to eat soft foods lol I thought on day 7 I can eat soft foods but it was really week 2, meaning 2 weeks post op lol 😂 but it was fine I took it down when I did eat. Yesterday I decided to get fancy and try and buy a smoothie that had protein I thought I read the ingredients right and girl I literally had what I think is dumping syndrome lol it was the worst within ten minutes of drinking literally like less than five sips I was just not feeling well. I read some people don’t get it from sugary things so I’m glad I do bc it will help later I’m an emotional reck too not being able to eat anything and wanting to sucks but it’s what I signed up for lol. I just got new protein powder to make a shake at home so I’ll be fine I’m basically supposed to be on a liquid diet til Monday but since I’m a little slow lol and read my diet wrong I’m going stick on it for a few extra days. I was backed up (sorry tmi) for a good week had to take miralax but I’m noticing now that I’m not my weight is going down and I can see my stomach going down. I’m not gonna weight myself til my next visit. im just sick of the same “food” also I was doing premier caramel but the smell of it disgust me now 😩 I’m definitely emotional but feeling my belly go down and my hips feeling a bit less wide and my thighs are feeling a little more thin makes it a bit better also binge watching tv 🫠hang in there girlie we got this! As for the yogurt I love the toasted coconut ones I forget the brand. also yesterday I went out and wore jeans high rises and my stomach did not like that 🤔I was in pain from driving w them bc they had dug into my belly. I had a hiatal hernia also so dunno if I am just feeling bad still from both surgeries but I’m certain that next month I am looking forward to that. To feeling some sort of normalcy. Also did anyone else get a cute little bear! It’s a cough buddy he literally has been everywhere w me lol

I actually had made a pumpkin soup when I was wrong about being able to eat soft foods lol I thought on day 7 I can eat soft foods but it was really week 2, meaning 2 weeks post op lol 😂 but it was fine I took it down when I did eat. Yesterday I decided to get fancy and try and buy a smoothie that had protein I thought I read the ingredients right and girl I literally had what I think is dumping syndrome lol it was the worst within ten minutes of drinking literally like less than five sips I was just not feeling well. I read some people don’t get it from sugary things so I’m glad I do bc it will help later I’m an emotional reck too not being able to eat anything and wanting to sucks but it’s what I signed up for lol. I just got new protein powder to make a shake at home so I’ll be fine I’m basically supposed to be on a liquid diet til Monday but since I’m a little slow lol and read my diet wrong I’m going stick on it for a few extra days. I was backed up (sorry tmi) for a good week had to take miralax but I’m noticing now that I’m not my weight is going down and I can see my stomach going down. I’m not gonna weight myself til my next visit. im just sick of the same “food” also I was doing premier caramel but the smell of it disgust me now 😩 I’m definitely emotional but feeling my belly go down and my hips feeling a bit less wide and my thighs are feeling a little more thin makes it a bit better also binge watching tv 🫠hang in there girlie we got this! As for the yogurt I love the toasted coconut ones I forget the brand. also yesterday I went out and wore jeans high rises and my stomach did not like that 🤔I was in pain from driving w them bc they had dug into my belly. I had a hiatal hernia also so dunno if I am just feeling bad still from both surgeries but I’m certain that next month I am looking forward to that. To feeling some sort of normalcy. Also did anyone else get a cute little bear! It’s a cough buddy he literally has been everywhere w me lol

Girl this has been the biggest struggle phase for me. I really just want to cry and cry. I did discover Dannin Greek Yogurt Strawberry Cheesecake and it’s like the best thing I’ve ever eaten. It’s just hard to find anything to really switch it up for me so I’m going to go back to making soup. I thought about blending my soups I’ve just been scared it’s gonna be gross and ruined.

The instructions I was given were 48 hours of pre-op liquid, with total fasting beginning the evening before surgery. The longer liquid diet is to promote rapid weight-loss and shrink your liver, but some surgeons don't find this necessary, or only apply it to patients over a certain BMI. The 24-48 hours of liquid-only and/or fasting prior to surgery is just to clear your digestive tract prior to operating. Also, some surgeons don't require a puree stage and go from foods like yogurt and ricotta directly to moist proteins and fully cooked veg that you are instructed to chew for 30 seconds to a minute before swallowing (essentially pureeing them with your teeth).